Kinematic evaluation of snow shoveling

The objective of this study was to determine how different shovel designs affect trunk motion during snow shoveling. A shovel having a straight shaft and a shovel having a bent shaft were evaluated across three levels of task asymmetry. The primary dependent variables were measures of lumbar position and kinematics in three directions with respect to the spine recorded with a lumbar motion monitor. Ratings of perceived discomfort were also collected. Twelve participants simulated snow shoveling in three different directions with each shovel in a laboratory experiment. Results showed that the bent shovel significantly reduced the lumbar velocity and acceleration in the sagittal plane without affecting motion in the rotational or frontal planes. Most sagittal and rotational motion parameters increased with increasing task asymmetry. The discomfort ratings indicated that the low back, arms and wrist were the body regions most severely affected by the task.