Snow shoveling without a back injury

Why is shoveling so hard on the back?

Shoveling combines three things backs dislike: repeated bending, a load held at arm’s length, and a twist to throw it, often done fast on a cold morning. The weight on the end of a long handle acts like a lever, so even a modest scoop of wet snow puts a large load through the lower back.

Indiana snow is often heavy and wet, especially in early and late winter storms, so each shovelful weighs more than it looks. Many people also shovel straight out of bed or out of a warm car, with stiff muscles, and keep going until the job is done instead of pacing it. The result is a familiar pattern: a twinge on the last few loads, or a back that seizes up the next morning.

Is snow shoveling a risk for the heart as well as the back?

Yes. Shoveling heavy snow is strenuous exercise, usually done in the cold and often first thing in the morning, so it can strain the heart, particularly in people who are not usually active. The AAOS advises anyone with a medical condition, or who does not exercise regularly, to talk to their doctor before shoveling; people with heart disease or a history of chest pain should also consider a snowblower or help.

Stop immediately and call 911 for chest pain or pressure, pain spreading to the arm, jaw or back, unusual breathlessness, cold sweat or light-headedness. Those are not back symptoms and should never be pushed through.

What shovel and gear make clearing a driveway easier on the back?

Use a shovel that suits your height and strength, as the AAOS advises, and favor a pusher-style blade for moving snow along the ground. A smaller blade limits how much you can lift at once, which is often a good thing with wet snow.

Handles with a bend may reduce how far you stoop, but what matters more is how much you lift and how. Boots with a deep tread, layered clothing and gloves with a good grip make the job steadier. Spray the blade with a non-stick product so wet snow slides off rather than needing a hard throw. Clear your own steps and the path to the car first, and salt them, so the trips you make back and forth with the shovel are not on ice.

How should I lift snow when pushing it is not possible?

Take a small load, stand with feet apart, bend at the hips and knees, keep the shovel close to your body and lift by straightening your legs. Then walk or pivot your feet toward where the snow is going instead of twisting your back to throw it.

This is the hip hinge: the hips move back, the chest comes forward with the back long, and the legs do the lifting. Holding one hand close to the blade and the other on the handle end shortens the lever. The AAOS specifically warns against throwing snow over your shoulder, which combines lifting, reaching and twisting in one motion.

How do I pace the work after a big Indiana storm?

Clear in stages: shovel a few inches at a time during a long storm, take frequent breaks, drink fluids and stop before you are exhausted. Clearing a foot of heavy snow in one go is the most demanding version of the job.

Plan the route so the snow moves the shortest distance, push it to the edges first and only lift what is left. Swap the side you work from every few minutes so one side of the back is not doing all the work. If the plow has left a heavy ridge across the end of the driveway, break it into small chunks rather than heaving it.

Who should hand the job to someone else or use a snowblower?

People with heart conditions, recent back surgery, a recent joint replacement, osteoporosis or an active back flare should usually arrange help or use a snowblower. A neighbor, a teenager or a snow removal service costs less than weeks of back pain.

Snowblowers bring their own injuries. The AAOS advises that if snow jams the machine you stop the engine, wait more than five seconds, and clear it with a tool, never your hand. Add fuel before starting, never while the engine is running or hot, and never let children operate the machine.

What should I do if my back tweaks while shoveling?

Stop shoveling, go inside and keep moving gently rather than lying flat for days. Most acute back strains improve over days to a few weeks, and walking around the house, changing position often and using heat for comfort usually helps more than bed rest.

The guide to the first 72 hours of low back pain explains what to do on each day, and the answer on whether to rest or keep moving with back pain explains why gentle activity is preferred. If the pain is not clearly easing after a week or two, or keeps returning every storm, complete the physical therapy questionnaire to be matched with an independent therapist in the network; Indiana allows up to 42 calendar days of physical therapy without a referral.

How to shovel a driveway step by step

A routine that follows the AAOS snow shoveling advice and protects the lower back.

1. Warm up for about 10 minutes

   March on the spot, do a few squats or hip hinges, swing your arms and rotate gently. Cold, stiff muscles strain more easily.

2. Plan your route

   Decide where the snow will go so you push it the shortest distance and lift as little as possible.

3. Push first

   Use the shovel like a plow to push snow to the edges of the driveway, keeping your back long and walking with your legs.

4. Lift small loads with a hip hinge

   For what is left, take a small scoop, bend at the hips and knees, keep the shovel close and straighten your legs to lift.

5. Turn your feet, not your back

   Walk or pivot toward the pile and set the snow down; never toss it over your shoulder or twist to throw it.

6. Take breaks and switch sides

   Rest every few minutes, drink water, and change which hand leads so both sides share the work.

7. Stop if symptoms appear

   Stop for back pain that sharpens, and call 911 for chest pain, unusual breathlessness or light-headedness.