More Snow Means More Chiropractic Appointments

Local Chiropractic offices see increased fall and shovel injuries.

DULUTH, Minn.- The snow hasn’t let up across the Northland, and with more on the way, it can get treacherous to navigate.

Area chiropractors have sen an increase in business due to falls and injuries.

They shared with us some tips on how to avoid getting hurt, and having to pay them a visit.

The officials at HealthSource of Duluth told us to always use good lifting techniques when shoveling.

This can be especially hard to remember, as the huge amounts of snow make you want to lift more at once to finish quick, and with so many 6-foot tall piles, it’s tempting to twist your body looking for a place to dump it all.

They advised to lift small amounts and pivot with your feet, to not put unnecessary stress on your lower back.

Not using those techniques can result in painful injuries, requiring frequent visits with the chiropractor.

HealthSource Chiropractors also advised to use extreme caution when stepping around in the snow, because you have no clue what it’s hiding.

“The ice underneath the snow, people don’t know what is lying underneath so they slip and fall and hurt themselves,” said Dr. Tanner Kutzler, Associate Chiropractor. “So they come in here and try to alleviate that pain.”

The Mayo Clinic advises not to see a chiropractor if you have severe osteoporosis, numbness in a limb, cancer in your spine, a problem with the bones in your upper neck, or an increased risk of stroke.

If you do see one regularly, one of the worst things you can do Dr. Kutzler said, is to wait a while before getting an injury treated.

Depending on how bad the injury is, it could even mean a more painful experience.

“I’ve seen where it takes a month to rehab somebody if they wait too long,” he said.

“Maybe the bone or the joint is in the improper positioning, so it heals incorrectly. Then you have to re-train the body to get it back to 100%, and back to the correct position. And the muscles adhere to that wrong positioning, thinking that it is the normal.”

So switching it back to where it should be, makes those muscles work extra hard.

Dr. Kutzler strongly advised that seeing him or another chiropractor as soon after the injury as you can, the better.

That way you can get back on your feet, and back at those Winter sports, which don’t include shoveling.