Our family loves wintertime. Hockey games, warm drinks, and big sweaters. What’s not to love? Every year our tradition is to ice skate at Rockefeller Center. But winter weather can be risky to your wellbeing. Injuries from shoveling snow, slipping on ice, and snowy car wrecks seem to be part of the season.
Visiting your local chiropractor should be part of your annual tradition too. Keeping your spine aligned will limit your risk of being injured. If you are injured, your chiropractor will help you heal quickly and deal with less pain.
Slipping on icy sidewalks
The ice and snow bring beautiful scenery and a higher risk of ice-related injuries. You know the feeling of walking outside, trying not to slip on the ice.
Falling on ice is a scary experience that can lead to injuries. While many falls result in nothing more than a bruised ego, slipping in icy conditions can also cause a wrenched back. Strains are often the outcome of a small loss of balance which is enough to lead to a strained muscle.
Shoveling snow
Living with cold weather can take a toll on us physically. Many people dread the long hours of work that come with shoveling snow.
Shoveling snow and ice off of sidewalks can cause shoulder injuries or lower back pain. If six inches of snow falls on a given day, a person with an average double driveway could be shoveling almost 1,500 pounds of snow. The repetitive movement combined with the heavy weight of the snow can be hard on your lower back.
Ice skating
Whether it’s gliding across a frozen pond, or strapping on hockey skates and picking up a stick, the cold winter temperatures bring many opportunities for icy sports.
Strapping on two shiny skates and gliding across the ice in the bright lights of New York is one of my favorite parts of the winter season. From the ice rink in Rockefeller Center, you can see the skyscrapers, the giant decorated tree, and the tourists and shoppers charmed by all the lights and decorations.
I’m not sure if it’s the cold temperatures that make my muscles freeze up or that I’m not as nimble as I once was. Either way, our annual tradition of ice skating inevitably leads to overuse and overstretching. When muscle fibers tear, it means you’ll have several days of discomfort and pain.
Fender Bender on icy streets
Safely driving in snow and ice takes caution and practice. It is a beautiful season, where crystals cover every surface, but treacherous driving conditions can send your car sliding off of an ice-covered street.
Most drivers drive slowly and carefully during snowstorms, so many accidents that occur are minor. But even a low impact crash can cause cold muscles to contract abruptly. When your muscles are unprepared for movement, it can easily result in a few days of acute aches and pains.
Book an appointment to prepare for winter
With winter comes snowflakes, icy roads, and winter sports, but also a reminder of how fragile the human body is. Injuries from shoveling snow and falling on a slippery surface seem to be part of the season. Prepare yourself for winter by visiting your local NYC chiropractor. A proper alignment will limit your injury risk or help you recover more quickly.