Winter is already a pain in the butt, don't make it a pain in the back too!

The mild Maine winter we are currently having simply cannot last. We all know it is inevitable that a significant amount of snow and mess will be coming our way.

The unavoidable cleanup process is something no one looks forward to. So before you grab that ice scraper and shovel in the coming months, we found a few ways to make things easier on your body.

Seems crazy, but you can really hurt yourself shoveling heavy snow, but let's not forget about what falls on your vehicle, too. Sometimes that is just as big of a problem to remove when it gets really icy and cold.

Portland chiropractor Dr. Lou Jacobs put together a handy video to show you how to scrape snow and ice off your car without causing back injury or shoulder pain. Yes, the idea of injuring yourself just cleaning off your car sounds crazy, but it does happen, especially when you think of all the stretching and leaning you do to reach that pesky snow. Extra points for creativity to the good doctor for his bitchin' handlebar mustache!

Shoveling snow can cause heart attacks or sudden cardiac arrest in people with heart conditions and even in those who are unaware that they have heart disease. Some doctors believe that you should stop shoveling snow by the age of 45, and switch to a blower.

Either way, check out some helpful hints to do things the right way in your driveway, or at work.

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