Spring break up (logging): The time when logging camps close for the season because transportation becomes too difficult due to thawing of snow and ice in the woods.

As I am sure you have noticed, we live in a town that has forestry as one of the main industries.

Although a little earlier than normal, this is the time of year when the snow in the forests around us begins to melt. This creates muddy logging roads that are sometimes vulnerable to erosion or simply impassable. Thus, the logging crews and their heavy equipment are forced to take a well deserved and needed break. The loggers call this spring break up.

However, if you think that the spring break up is just a time for everyone in the industry to sit back and relax, you are incorrect. A portion of the logging crew and their mechanics use this downtime to make all the necessary repairs to the logging equipment.

The logging contractors know that if they don’t fix and properly maintain their equipment while they have a chance, then Murphy’s Law states that it will break down just when you need it the most.

The other person who seems to get busy during spring break up is me! While all the logging equipment is being repaired, it is my job to repair and maintain the workers of the industry.

They come to see me for their painful spots and other repetitive strain injuries that show up from their long days of sitting while driving and operating heavy equipment. More specifically, they complain of tension headaches, pain in the neck and back, burning pain between the shoulder blades, numbness and tingling down their arms, pain in their hips and gluteal area, sciatica, elbow and shoulder tendonitis, and much more.

Fortunately, all of these conditions can be treated by a chiropractor. Not only can the chiropractor address the immediate physical problems that these workers have, but he or she can help prevent them.

The chiropractor can teach the worker specific exercises and stretches that they can do during and after their shift to loosen the tight and stiff muscles from their day of work. As well, the worker should visit the chiropractor at least on a monthly basis all year in order to maintain the full motion of the joints and muscles in their spine, shoulders, and hips.

The most important thing that I try to make all forestry workers understand is that spare parts can be bought and installed for their heavy equipment. However, there are no spare parts for their neck, back, shoulders, hips, muscles, and nerves.

Thus, they need to be just as concerned about maintaining themselves as they are with maintaining their logging equipment.

If you are a forestry worker on spring break up and you have any of the physical issues I mentioned above, feel free to call my office if you want to address your problems before your “parts” wear out.