MONTREAL -- At a time when many Quebecers will be shovelling at the end of the week, health professionals are reiterating the importance of being careful not to get injured.
Shovelling causes muscle and joint pain in 31 per cent of Canadians, a statistic from the Association des chiropraticiens du Québec notes on Saturday morning.
Quebec chiropractors say they see an upsurge in the number of consultations after each heavy snowfall.
"The patients we see in the clinic after a snowstorm mainly present with pain in the lower back, neck and shoulders," explained Dr. Guillaume Corbin, chiropractor and vice-president of the Association des chiropraticiens du Québec.
The association recommends that people do the following when clearing snow:
- do some warm-up exercises before starting,
- push the snow instead of lifting it when possible,
- pivot your body to avoid twisting your torso when putting down the shovel and,
- go out and shovel several times in a storm rather than waiting for a big pile.
-- this report by The Canadian Press first published Jan. 16, 2021.
