With all this extra snow this winter, some people are finding themselves in the doctor’s office.
Dr. James Lebolt works with Virginia Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Institute, and he is seeing more patients who have snow-related injuries.
"Now, it's really focused on slips going to the mailbox - ice that's set in from the snow that's been on the ground for awhile. We're seeing some low back pain, some leg pain from people lifting heavy amounts of snow at a time,” he said.
The snow seems to keep piling up, and as people try to shovel it away, they’re getting hurt.
"Seeing a lot of rotator cuff strains which is a group of muscles that surrounds the shoulder. I've seen a lot of that recently with snow shoveling. I’ve seen a lot of knee strains more from the slipping on ice,” explained Dr. Lebolt.
Age doesn’t matter. Lebolt says he’s seen people from their mid-20s to mid-60s. He suggests shoveling on a salted surface so it isn’t slippery. Lift with your legs, and work in intervals instead of doing it all at once. Finally, never work through any pain- just stop.
"People are going out for two and three hours at a time trying to shovel snow when they haven't done a lot of cardiovascular activities,” said Dr. Lebolt.
When you're shoveling, doctors say you should avoid using the shovel to throw back over your shoulder because of the way your body twists.
Although clearing out the driveway is a must for many of you, just make sure health and safety is your top priority.
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