Drs. Matt Lau and Matt Gilbertson of Downtown Chiropractic.

Nancy Edmonds Hanson

No single season invariably dominates the need for chiropractic care, Drs. Matt Lau and Matt Gilbertson agree. But these snowy, icy months may hold the record, from backs thrown out of line from reckless snow-shoveling to the stress of shuffling like a penguin on endlessly icy walkways. Then, too, there are those sore muscles and misaligned spines when the awkward “penguin walk” has failed to keep you upright.
“We do see more patients at this time of year who’re suffering from seasonal-type problems,” Lau concedes. “Winter always brings its own set of challenges.” And while proactive steps year-round can ease some of those woes, chiropractic adjustments are a popular solution to easing the pains caused by frigid mishaps.
Lau and Gilbertson operate Downtown Chiropractic. Long an occupant of the Moorhead Center Mall, their practice is one of the last handful of businesses in the east end of the largely demolished structure. Like their neighbor Moorhead Vision Associates, they are awaiting completion of the new quarters into which they plan to move later this year.
The two chiropractors are watching their new facility taking shape just to the east in the 650 Block, the two-building complex being constructed on Center Avenue between Sixth and Seventh Streets. The 12,000-square-foot space will permit them to expand their practice, which currently offers massage therapy in addition to chiropractic care. Among the anticipated additions: a 24-hour fitness center, physical therapy, athletic training, dietetics, acupuncture and other wellness services.
In the meantime, they’re helping patients recover from the inevitable issues caused by living through the Minnesota winter.
Two of the complaints they hear most often, the two Matts say, come after too-vigorous shoveling and too-inevitable falls on slippery sidewalks and frozen, irregular ruts on driveways and parking lots.
Clearing a path with that trusty snow shovel, they say, can present a clear and present danger to the spine when not done correctly. “Bending from the waist to lift the snow and leaning to the side to toss it put stress on the spine. That can easily to cause misalignment, resulting in back pain,” Lau cautions. He advises that shovelers bend at the knees, keeping their backs straight, and lift with their leg muscles. “Don’t try to lift too much,” he adds, “and avoid twisting your body when throwing the snow to the side.”
Falls on the ice not only involve bruising and potential broken bones. Even the care we take to avoid those falls – the tight, rigid “penguin walk” attempting to stay vertical – can cause extended stress on the muscles and joints, says Gilbertson – another cause of stiffness and discomfort. “You’re all tensed up when you’re walking or, for that matter, driving on slippery surfaces,” he notes.
Even the cold itself may contribute to tender muscles and joints, causing them to become stiffer and less flexible. Nerves and blood vessels constrict in the arms and legs, decreasing blood flow and circulation to keep the inner core warmer. That can cause pain. On top of that, when out-of-shape individuals take part in active winter sports without proper stretching and warm-ups, that vigorous activity can also stress joints and muscles
The two Matts agree that spinal manipulation can help ease the tenderness and aches of dealing with wintry conditions. The chiropractors explain that calculated pressure applied to the joints in the spine influences the nervous system through the spinal cord, causing a reflexive relaxation of muscles surrounding the manipulated area.
“We don’t like to see patients only after they’ve fallen or when they’re hurting,” Lau says. “Regular adjustments year-round can improve your balance and mobility and reduce stress. The most effective way to treat those winter injuries, after all, is to prevent them in the first place.”