Keeping your back safe through the winter
weather
Nothing characterises the winter weather as much as snow and
hard frost, although it is beautiful to look at, snow and frost can
be a major problem often causing falls and injuries.
Slippery ground - Ice and frost can gather
quickly and prove to be challenging for individuals at any age, but
especially dangerous for the elderly. In my clinical practice I see
falls as the biggest cause of acute back pain at this time of year.
A single slip resulting in a fall on to your back can cause
joint and muscle injury or possibly even a fracture. This results
in significant back pain and dysfunction, which could have been
avoided by taking a few simple precautions:
Change into appropriate footwear. You may just be walking from
your front door to your car, and think "it's only just outside, I
will be fine," but negotiating slippery ice can be tricky. So put
on your shoes or boots that have the best tread and take a change
of work shoes, or fancy footwear with you.
Watch your every step. When you carry boxes or shopping
bags from the car into the house, ensure you can visualise the
ground over the box you are carrying. A large number of falls take
place when walking on slippery ground while carrying something.
Clearing the garden path of snow - You can very
easily hurt your back through shovelling heavy snow. Many people I
see in my clinic are healthy and fit, they are just not physically
accustomed to the unfamiliar movement of shovelling snow.
This is the advice I generally offer:
Warm up by stretching the main muscle groups before venturing
outside.
Try to push the snow away rather than using a bending and
twisting movement as when shovelling. If you decide to shovel
make sure you hold the heavy loaded shovel close to your body and
only lift small amounts of snow at a time.
Clearing snow from rooftops - Most people are
not sure-footed on the roof in the best of weather conditions, let
alone once snow and ice have accumulated. Falling from a height
such as a roof can result in major back injuries, including spinal
cord damage.
Make sure the ladder is dry, secure and placed on a flat non-icy
surface. Use non-slip footwear and always have someone to help so
that you never climb on to the roof alone.
Shanilla Isabel Diaz is an Osteopath at www.fulhamosteopathiccare.co.uk
