Top Four Ways to Reduce Injuries While Cutting Wood for the Winter
Hey Team,
As many people know from my writing in the Newspaper or by email… I love the Autumn air. I love the spell of crisp mornings, cool temperatures, warm during the day and cold nights, or the change in colors of the trees. Fall is the best. But I also love the fact it is wood gathering season for me. Actually… It is for my mother-in-law. She has a wood stove and lives next to us, so I enjoy helping cut, chop and stack her wood. I see it as my reward to her for allowing me to marry her daughter almost 20 years ago ;)
Over the years, however, I have experienced my share of injuries. Muscle soreness, shoulder injuries, low back pain, finger injuries, or shattering the back of my father-in-laws truck window! Yep, over the years, I've experienced it all! So today, I want to pass on my misfortune, combined with my knowledge of the body, to help keep you healthy and robust for your wood gathering season.
Top 4 Wood Gathering Injuries and How to Prevent
#1. Finger Injuries: I have known many people who have lost a finger using a wood splitter.
I always thought this was weird? How do they cut off their finger? Were they not paying attention? Well, it almost happened to me! I held a piece of wood on the sides to keep it vertical while my mother-in-law worked the handle to bring it down. The standard procedure was to keep the hands on the side of the wood to avoid getting your finger chopped, so I waited until the mallet had entered the wood. I placed my hands on top to pull the wood apart as the mallet continued into the wood. Unfortunately, my glove was caught on a bolt 8 inches above the mallet's end, thus pulling my finger into the wood splitter. I pulled back reflexively to find I had my entire fingernail ripped off! WOW, did that hurt... but I didn't lose my finger!.
So the best way to prevent finger injuries is: Wear tight-fitting gloves and minimize the chance of damage with a wood splitter by always keeping the hands on the side of the wood.
CLICK HERE TO SEE MY FINGER PICTURE (WARNING: GRAPHIC!)
#2. Low back Injuries: I cannot count the times I would end up with a sore back to the muscles to the side of my spine after cutting or hauling wood. I did not ever have pain extend into the buttock or leg. For me, it was usually just muscle soreness. My Father-in-Law, however, would tend to get shooting pain from too much lifting. We eventually banned him for this. The pressure to the low back while lifting a heavy cut log is significant.
Disc herniation, sciatica, or centralized low back pain can be the result. The best way to prevent low back pain is to not avoid heavy lifting from the ground, cut logs into smaller pieces but also to use carts or carries if able. Also, pre-contracting the spine with a light abdominal contraction before lifting will "brace" the spine as well. Here are a few exercises to help train the muscles.
#3. Shoulder Injuries: Rotator cuff pain, biceps pain, or deep shoulder pain is common, especially with using a chainsaw. Holding a 10-20lb object from the body will only increase your chance of shoulder injuries. Taking frequent breaks will help reduce shoulder stress but also cutting wood below you instead of in front of you will minimize shoulder strain.
Here are ways to evaluate if you need to get your shoulder evaluated.
#4. Shin injuries: Many times when splitting wood with a maul or a wood spitter, the wood will jump off and smack you in the shins leaving a cut or bruise.
Wearing soccer shin guards can help with this injury and can be worn under your pants. Another option… catchers shin guards. The benefit is the full coverage to the shins from the knee to the ankle, but also, if you work on your knees, you will receive added padding from the guards and make resting on a knee easier/softer.
Well Team. Here are my Top Four Tips on how to reduce Wood Gathering Injuries. It is important to note a few other ways to make the experience even safer: eye protection from wood bouncing into the face, hearing protection from the noise pollution of the wood splitter engine, or the chainsaw engine. Last, wearing long sleeves will prevent scratches to the forearms while hauling or carrying wood. Thanks for reading to the end today. If you are reading this now to the end… I thank you. I will reward you by qualifying you for a monthly giveaway. Click on the email button below and type WOOD SPLITTING GIVE AWAY in the subject and your name in the body to get you entered. We like to reward our loyal readers.
Thanks for being part of the Team.
Best Wishes,
Rob
