Source: Wall Street Journal: Jan 11, 2011
By ANN LUKITS
Snow shoveling: U.S. hospitals treat on average about 11,500 injuries and medical emergencies a year related to shoveling snow, according to a study in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine that analyzed data from 100 emergency departments from 1990 to 2006.
A worker shoveled snow after the late December blizzard in New York. The study, the first national survey of snow-shoveling injuries, said the activity places extraordinary demands on the cardiovascular system and can raise heart rates above recommended upper limits after only two minutes. Freezing temperatures also constrict peripheral blood vessels, further stressing the heart. Two-thirds of shoveling injuries occurred in men, and 15% of injuries were in children under 18 years old. More than half of injuries resulted from acute musculoskeletal exertion, 20% from slips and falls, and nearly 7% from cardiac problems, such as heart attack.
The study said most shovels contribute to injuries because of their non-ergonomic design, which hasn't changed in over a century. Researchers recommend shovelers under 18 be supervised, people should warm up with light exercise before shoveling and sedentary individuals should consider hiring someone for the task.
Caveat: Researchers said their findings underestimate the number of injuries and medical emergencies associated with snow shoveling because only cases treated in emergency departments were included.
Title: Snow shovel-related injuries and medical emergencies treated in US EDs, 1990 to 2006.
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