Lifestyle
December 18, 2006
"I don't think there is any valid significant research that indicates it should be any better," Cannon said, referring to the bent-handle shovels. "I'll go out on a limb. I think it's more marketing than anything else."
Melinda Adam, director of rehabilitation at Northeast Health System in Beverly and a physical therapist and orthopedic clinical specialist Addison Gilbert Hospital in Gloucester, said she finds that the bent-handle shovels work well for pushing snow but are a little cumbersome for lifting.
Rather than buying a special shovel, she said, you're probably better off finding a traditional shovel that's the right size for your body.
"I think more important than the ergonomic design is really how long that shovel is for you," Adam said.
Here's a quick test:
* Bend your knees slightly and hold the shovel as if you're beginning a scoop. The shovel should nearly touch the ground.
* If you're leaning forward about 10 degrees, the shovel is perfect.
* If you have to lean forward a lot more than 10 degrees, the shovel is too short; your back will be bending too much when you shovel.
* If you're standing up straight, the shovel is too long; the load of snow will feel heavier because it's farther from your body, causing unnecessary exertion.
Donna Schneider, a clinical exercise specialist at FirstHealth of Andover, agreed that ergonomic shovels are not necessary if you maintain good shoveling posture and don't push yourself too hard.
"If you're smart about it, I don't think you need to spend that extra money on (ergonomic shovels)," she said.
The few studies that have been done on ergonomic shovels suggest a small benefit. Liberty Mutual did a study on bent-shaft shovels with 10 volunteers. The men had heart rates of about 4 beats per minute lower using the bent-shaft designs than traditional shovels. They bent forward 16 percent less, reducing the force on their lower backs by 13 percent.
The idea behind the bent shaft is that you can hold it without bending over as much as with a traditional shovel, said Don Swartz, owner of the New Hampshire-based company Life with Ease. He sells an ergonomic shovel called the Back-Saver for $39.
"The bent handle of the shovel means that you don't have to bend your knees or back as much to take up a scoop," Swartz said.
Regardless of what kind of shovel you use, the important thing is to recognize that shoveling snow is physically demanding, Cannon said.
"As you get older, we say that you need to pay to play," Cannon said. "What that means is you can pay ahead of time with conditioning, preparation and stretching, or you can pay after with injury and disability. As we get older, the odds of not paying at all are slimmer and slimmer."
It's a bad idea to get right out of bed on a snowy morning and go directly outside to shovel snow, especially if you're hurrying because you have to get to work on time, Cannon said. At the very least, try to wander around the house a little first to warm up your muscles before you go outside.
If you do experience sore muscles after shoveling, don't be overly worried, Dr. Todd O'Brien of New England Orthopedic Specialists in Peabody said. You can generally treat this pain with over-the-counter medications, as long as they are cleared by your doctor.
The time to see a doctor is if the pain persists for more than 24 hours or you're experiencing pain at night, O'Brien said.
"There's a certain aerobic effort it takes to shovel snow," he said. "It's made worse by the cold. It's just a good thing to kind of do at your (annual) physical, to say, 'I'm a little worried about shoveling snow.' Make sure your doctor lets you know if you're up to it."
By the numbers
r A shovel full of snow can weigh up to 25 pounds.
r Shoveling is a strenuous physical activity. Heavy snow shoveling burns 14 to 20 calories a minute, about the same as cross-country skiing and running.
r An estimated 20,574 emergency room visits in 2005 were related to snow shoveling.
r An estimated 6,591 emergency room visits in 2005 were related to use of snow blowers and snow throwers.
Sources: Melinda Adam of Northeast Health System, www.coolnurse.com and the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission.
The right way to do it
r Do not shovel if you have a heart condition. If you are out of shape, check with your doctor first.
r Warm up your muscles by starting on a section of snow that's not as deep or as heavy as the rest.
r Start by standing up straight. Pull your shoulder blades together and down. Now bend your knees and lean forward from your hips. Try to keep that little inward curve in your lower back. As you bend down to scoop the snow, let your rear end stick out. Lift up with your knees and your hips, not your back.
r Stand with one foot forward of the other, in a staggered position. Point your leading foot in the direction you're moving. If you're throwing snow to the left, your left foot should be pointing to the left.
r When you dump snow off the shovel, turn your whole body to face the snow pile. Don't twist at your waist or shoulders.
r Keep your hands at least 12 inches apart on the shovel handle.
r When you lift, tuck your chin in a little bit to protect your neck.
r Use a shovel with a small blade or, if your shovel has a big blade, don't fill it all the way with snow. You will have to make more scoops, but you will put less strain on your body with each one.
r Take frequent breaks. Try to stand up straight between each scoop. Every once in a while put your hands on your rear end and bend backward 10 or 15 times to take strain off your back muscles.
r Push snow, rather than lifting it, whenever you can.
Sources: Physical therapist Melinda Adam, director of rehabilitation at Northeast Health System; Donna Schneider, a clinical exercise specialist at FirstHealth of Andover; and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
The power alternative: Snow blowers also pose dangers
Snow blowers are a good way to keep strain off your back, but they come with their own set of safety risks, said Dr. Todd O'Brien at New England Orthopedic Specialists in Peabody.
"Most orthopedic surgeons have a story about when they were in training and people were digging out from storms and they saw some large number of snow blower injuries," O'Brien said.
He personally has seen 20 or 30 snow blower injuries at a time, he said.
The most common snow blower injury is to the hand or fingers, O'Brien said. Usually it happens when snow gets impacted in the snow blower chute. The person reaches into the chute to loosen the snow, not realizing there are spinning blades in the chute of many snow blowers, in addition to the big blades on the ground.
Even if the snow blower is turned off, these blades can recoil with enough power to slice fingers at the instant the packed snow is removed.
"The injuries can be pretty severe," O'Brien said. "We're pretty good at putting fingers on, but this obviously is prolonged surgery and people wind up with stiffness afterwards."
To avoid injury, don't ever put your hand in the snow blower chute, O'Brien said. Turn off the engine, wait more than five seconds and then use a stick or other solid object to break up the snow.
- Julie Kirkwood
Shoveling safely Give injuries the slip this winter
Snow shoveling caused more than 20,000 emergency room visits last year, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. It can be great exercise if you're in shape, the American Heart Association says, but for the sedentary or medically vulnerable, shoveling can trigger heart attacks. It's also a common cause of back injuries.
"Aside from slipping on a banana peel, is there any more traditional metaphor for hurting your back than shoveling show?" said Andrew Cannon, director of sports medicine at Northeast Rehabilitation in Salem, N.H.
In response to these risks, particularly the risk of back injury, entrepreneurs are experimenting with all sorts of shovel designs that attempt to make shoveling safer. You can now buy shovels with bent shafts, a second hand grip or a scoop-shaped blade for pushing snow rather than lifting. Among the stranger designs available this year are the Snowscoop, a waist-high, 2-foot-wide red plastic board with a wheel underneath, and the Wovel, which looks like an ordinary shovel, except for the bicycle wheel attached to the shaft.
Few studies have been done to back up manufacturers' claims that the new models prevent injury, and with prices as high as $120 for these specialty designs, many local experts say they are skeptical.
"Aside from slipping on a banana peel, is there any more traditional metaphor for hurting your back than shoveling show?" said Andrew Cannon, director of sports medicine at Northeast Rehabilitation in Salem, N.H.
In response to these risks, particularly the risk of back injury, entrepreneurs are experimenting with all sorts of shovel designs that attempt to make shoveling safer. You can now buy shovels with bent shafts, a second hand grip or a scoop-shaped blade for pushing snow rather than lifting. Among the stranger designs available this year are the Snowscoop, a waist-high, 2-foot-wide red plastic board with a wheel underneath, and the Wovel, which looks like an ordinary shovel, except for the bicycle wheel attached to the shaft.
Few studies have been done to back up manufacturers' claims that the new models prevent injury, and with prices as high as $120 for these specialty designs, many local experts say they are skeptical.
"I don't think there is any valid significant research that indicates it should be any better," Cannon said, referring to the bent-handle shovels. "I'll go out on a limb. I think it's more marketing than anything else."
Melinda Adam, director of rehabilitation at Northeast Health System in Beverly and a physical therapist and orthopedic clinical specialist Addison Gilbert Hospital in Gloucester, said she finds that the bent-handle shovels work well for pushing snow but are a little cumbersome for lifting.
Rather than buying a special shovel, she said, you're probably better off finding a traditional shovel that's the right size for your body.
"I think more important than the ergonomic design is really how long that shovel is for you," Adam said.
Here's a quick test:
* Bend your knees slightly and hold the shovel as if you're beginning a scoop. The shovel should nearly touch the ground.
* If you're leaning forward about 10 degrees, the shovel is perfect.
* If you have to lean forward a lot more than 10 degrees, the shovel is too short; your back will be bending too much when you shovel.
* If you're standing up straight, the shovel is too long; the load of snow will feel heavier because it's farther from your body, causing unnecessary exertion.
Donna Schneider, a clinical exercise specialist at FirstHealth of Andover, agreed that ergonomic shovels are not necessary if you maintain good shoveling posture and don't push yourself too hard.
"If you're smart about it, I don't think you need to spend that extra money on (ergonomic shovels)," she said.
The few studies that have been done on ergonomic shovels suggest a small benefit. Liberty Mutual did a study on bent-shaft shovels with 10 volunteers. The men had heart rates of about 4 beats per minute lower using the bent-shaft designs than traditional shovels. They bent forward 16 percent less, reducing the force on their lower backs by 13 percent.
The idea behind the bent shaft is that you can hold it without bending over as much as with a traditional shovel, said Don Swartz, owner of the New Hampshire-based company Life with Ease. He sells an ergonomic shovel called the Back-Saver for $39.
"The bent handle of the shovel means that you don't have to bend your knees or back as much to take up a scoop," Swartz said.
Regardless of what kind of shovel you use, the important thing is to recognize that shoveling snow is physically demanding, Cannon said.
"As you get older, we say that you need to pay to play," Cannon said. "What that means is you can pay ahead of time with conditioning, preparation and stretching, or you can pay after with injury and disability. As we get older, the odds of not paying at all are slimmer and slimmer."
It's a bad idea to get right out of bed on a snowy morning and go directly outside to shovel snow, especially if you're hurrying because you have to get to work on time, Cannon said. At the very least, try to wander around the house a little first to warm up your muscles before you go outside.
If you do experience sore muscles after shoveling, don't be overly worried, Dr. Todd O'Brien of New England Orthopedic Specialists in Peabody said. You can generally treat this pain with over-the-counter medications, as long as they are cleared by your doctor.
The time to see a doctor is if the pain persists for more than 24 hours or you're experiencing pain at night, O'Brien said.
"There's a certain aerobic effort it takes to shovel snow," he said. "It's made worse by the cold. It's just a good thing to kind of do at your (annual) physical, to say, 'I'm a little worried about shoveling snow.' Make sure your doctor lets you know if you're up to it."
By the numbers
r A shovel full of snow can weigh up to 25 pounds.
r Shoveling is a strenuous physical activity. Heavy snow shoveling burns 14 to 20 calories a minute, about the same as cross-country skiing and running.
r An estimated 20,574 emergency room visits in 2005 were related to snow shoveling.
r An estimated 6,591 emergency room visits in 2005 were related to use of snow blowers and snow throwers.
Sources: Melinda Adam of Northeast Health System, www.coolnurse.com and the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission.
The right way to do it
r Do not shovel if you have a heart condition. If you are out of shape, check with your doctor first.
r Warm up your muscles by starting on a section of snow that's not as deep or as heavy as the rest.
r Start by standing up straight. Pull your shoulder blades together and down. Now bend your knees and lean forward from your hips. Try to keep that little inward curve in your lower back. As you bend down to scoop the snow, let your rear end stick out. Lift up with your knees and your hips, not your back.
r Stand with one foot forward of the other, in a staggered position. Point your leading foot in the direction you're moving. If you're throwing snow to the left, your left foot should be pointing to the left.
r When you dump snow off the shovel, turn your whole body to face the snow pile. Don't twist at your waist or shoulders.
r Keep your hands at least 12 inches apart on the shovel handle.
r When you lift, tuck your chin in a little bit to protect your neck.
r Use a shovel with a small blade or, if your shovel has a big blade, don't fill it all the way with snow. You will have to make more scoops, but you will put less strain on your body with each one.
r Take frequent breaks. Try to stand up straight between each scoop. Every once in a while put your hands on your rear end and bend backward 10 or 15 times to take strain off your back muscles.
r Push snow, rather than lifting it, whenever you can.
Sources: Physical therapist Melinda Adam, director of rehabilitation at Northeast Health System; Donna Schneider, a clinical exercise specialist at FirstHealth of Andover; and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
The power alternative: Snow blowers also pose dangers
Snow blowers are a good way to keep strain off your back, but they come with their own set of safety risks, said Dr. Todd O'Brien at New England Orthopedic Specialists in Peabody.
"Most orthopedic surgeons have a story about when they were in training and people were digging out from storms and they saw some large number of snow blower injuries," O'Brien said.
He personally has seen 20 or 30 snow blower injuries at a time, he said.
The most common snow blower injury is to the hand or fingers, O'Brien said. Usually it happens when snow gets impacted in the snow blower chute. The person reaches into the chute to loosen the snow, not realizing there are spinning blades in the chute of many snow blowers, in addition to the big blades on the ground.
Even if the snow blower is turned off, these blades can recoil with enough power to slice fingers at the instant the packed snow is removed.
"The injuries can be pretty severe," O'Brien said. "We're pretty good at putting fingers on, but this obviously is prolonged surgery and people wind up with stiffness afterwards."
To avoid injury, don't ever put your hand in the snow blower chute, O'Brien said. Turn off the engine, wait more than five seconds and then use a stick or other solid object to break up the snow.
- Julie Kirkwood
- Lifestyle
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North Shore people
Boxford
Elana Hogan recently received a bachelor's degree in business management at Babson College.
Hamilton
Olivia Vanni, daughter of Joe and Ann Vanni, was named to the dean's list for the spring semester at the College of Holy Cross. -
Can I eat those geranium leaves?
Q: Is there a book or website that teaches one which growing things can be eaten and which can't? Specifically, I have some wonderful lemon geraniums — no flowers, just leaves. Every time I water them or the breeze moves them, the most wonderful smell hits me. I want to know whether I could use them to flavor something in cooking, or add them to my tea. I couldn't find this on the Internet.
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Take your best shot
Dozens of photos are on display at the Salem Arts Association in the "Take Your Best Shot" photography show.
The show represents a broad range of styles and subjects, from Elaine Snow's beautiful black and white photo of ice-encrusted branches called "Winter Bones" to Peggy A. Farrell's colorful photograph titled "Pond Reflection." -
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Country woodcrafts, photography, tapestry, Native American crafts, toys and more will be available at the New England Arts and Crafts Festival at the Topsfield Fairgrounds, Route 1 north, Topsfield, tomorrow, Sunday and Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. All are welcome, even pets on a leash. For more information, call 603-332-2616 or www.castleberryfairs.com. -
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