How to prevent injuries caused by shoveling snow

TROY — The simple act of shoveling snow in a “traditional” method could send you to the hospital, area health experts warn.

Suppose you are out shoveling after the early morning snow showers. In that case, News Center 7′s Xavier Hershovitz demonstrates the best method to shovel the heavy, wet snow most in the Miami Valley saw Wednesday.

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Most people, when shoveling snow, tend to do the scoop and toss method, explains Hershovitz. Dr. Joseph Allen of Premier Health explains the scoop and toss method causes a person to use a twisting motion and could cause a sprain.

According to Allen, you should push the snow and keep yourself from straining.

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“It doesn’t matter if you go to the gym seven days a week when you’re out there shoveling snow that’s different from the gym. So you might be in great shape, but that twisting and bending and everything else causes injury just as easily,” said Allen.

Allen also warns when shoveling snow or even slush to use caution if you start to feel anything out of the ordinary in your chest, stop what you are doing, and seek medical attention, especially if you have any cardiac disease.

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