Dr. Krieger's Health Tip of the Month

Winter begins December 22; with it brings cold weather and white lumpy rain better known as snow. Snow is relatively light, but when we have to shovel, the story changes because we have to move numerous shovels full of snow. The single shovel of snow does not cause the body many problems. It's the multiple shovels of snow that cause the problems. An athlete exercises his body developing endurance and strength in the gym. The athlete practices his particular sport developing coordination and skill. Then the athlete takes his body to the playing field where he competes. The athlete can become injured if he does not practice enough because his body has not built up the endurance for prolonged competition. The moving of multiple shovels of snow is the same thing, especially if we lift the snow with our back muscles instead of our leg muscles. The back muscles are small in comparison to the leg muscles. When we do shovel it is important to lift the snow with our legs (the big muscles) and then step (moving our feet like throwing a football) to throw the snow onto the snow bank. If our feet are planted, the twisting without stepping can damage your lumbar disks. Just a few short minutes of snow shoveling with bad technique can strain the muscles of the spine and damage the ligaments and disks of your lumbar and thoracic spine. If the tip of moving your feet sounds familiar, that's because it's the same as last month's tip on leaf raking and vacuuming.

The other muscle that can be seriously affected by snow shoveling is our heart. Wet snow compounds this problem dramatically because of the increased weight. Instead of carrying the snow, try pushing the snow and then lifting and throwing closer to the snow bank. Shoveling is heavy exercise and requires the same preparation as participating in any sporting activity. It is important to wear proper clothing, the body produces heat with exercise, so wear layers to absorb the sweat and keep the temperature constant (it may be below zero or near freezing). Most of the heat your body looses is through your head, so wear an appropriate hat. Hydrate by drinking water or other fluids; try to avoid caffeinated beverages, as the caffeine acts as a diuretic, which takes more fluids out of you. Most games have periods or quarters for the athletes to rest, so shovel for 15-20 minutes or for a certain distance, then rest. If you are not sure how much you have exerted yourself, check your heart rate. With exercise the proper heart rate should be 60-80% of your maximum heart rate, which is calculated by 220 - your age x 60% (or 80%). Stretch afterwards. If you experience chest pain or difficulty breathing, call 911 immediately! If you suffer a back injury, begin home therapy with ice then contact your chiropractor. Our office initiates care with an examination and case history. We will then determine your need for care. Remember the muscles and ligaments are attached to the vertabrae of the spine. When muscles or ligaments are damaged the vertabrae move abnormally (like walking with one shoe on and one off). With the abnormal motion, the nearby nerve roots that exit between the vertabrae become irritated and cause pain.

IN PAIN? Contact Dr. Krieger at 633-6044 or docbillchiro@juno.com

Exercise balls and wobble boards work on building your stabilizing muscles. Stabilizing muscles are those that support the rest of the body so you can make movements and maintain your normal posture and adjustments. We are used to walking on flat surfaces which demand less use of stabilizing muscles where our bodies our designed for uneven surfaces which keep stabilizers strong. These muscles also go weak when we grow older and cause us to loose our balance. We have these products available for your purchase so try one out today.

William L. Krieger DC

5225 Sheridan Dr.

Williamsville, NY14221