Which direction should I throw snow?

You need to know which way your spine curves to answer the question. If your spine curves left, you throw snow to your right. If your spine curves right, you throw to your left. Here's an example of a right convex curve. You're looking at the model spine from behind. You can see the lower lumbar vertebrae are in right rotation. So, if you want to throw to the right, the muscles are going to pull those further into right rotation. Better in this case to throw to left.

Having this information does two things. It strengthens the deep spine rotators and pulls the spine back to straight to work with YOUR spine. Second, it keeps you from pushing the thing even further out of alignment throwing snow the wrong way for your spine.

In general, the curves get more pronounced with age so this problem, low back pain after shoveling, is more common. It can get much worse though, it can crush the nerves there and result in sciatica, which is pain to your buttock and down your leg to your foot. People frequently misinterpret this as hip pain. It usually is coming from the nerves in the low back.

Here is an actual x-ray of this problem. This case is moderate. They come in milder and more severe versions. Interestingly, the degree of curvature doesn't correlate well with how easily they cause problems for their owners. What you can't see on the x-ray is the condition of the discs. If you combine a little bit of lateral curve like this with bulging or herniated discs, it's going to cause more problems easier than a more severe curve with contained discs.

Speaking of discs, I've heard people say "It can't be helped, I have a herniated disc, so I need to have spine surgery". That's SO incorrect. Discs heal. They heal slower than other tissues because they don't have blood supply. If they had good blood supply with blood vessels in them, they wouldn't be very good discs. The design is perfect, but not indestructible. You can tear, rip, bulge, herniate, extrude... a disc, given enough force. They can all heal if give the care, time and circumstance.

An MRI of a disc herniation doesn't mean surgery. I know this confuses people. But the rate of healing is different than for discs than muscle or bone. It's literally, 2 years, not 2 or 3 months like a muscle or a bone. And, very few people actually need surgery for a disc herniation. Many do it, but that's because they are never told how to heal discs.

Many will try heat after they have this problem. That's not a good idea. That brings more swelling to the area. It feels nice doing so, especially after being out in the cold, but a couple hours later it will be even worse than had you done nothing. Always use ice first. It may not help, but it never hurts.

The thing to do is to get it lined back up as well as possible. Get in and get your spine adjusted.

A word about PT and stretches. Stretches are always helpful too. But consider the strengthening exercises may be a cart before the horse situation. If your nerves are irritated and not sending the correct stimulation to the muscles, imagine what's happening as you try to activate the muscles and strengthen them with faulty connections. We recommend correcting the connections first, THEN doing your conditioning.