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SOM-UMDNJ Top Docs

Richard Jermyn DOFeatured Top Doc for
February 2007

Richard Jermyn, DO is the director of the University Pain Care Center and the acting chair of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the UMDNJ-School of Osteopathic Medicine.  He is also director of the Comprehensive Pain Center at Garden State Infectious Diseases in Voorhees and the head of Physician Medicine and Rehabilitation at Kennedy Memorial Hospital-University Medical Center in Stratford.   

Dr. Jermyn is a graduate of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Temple University School of Medicine.  He is board certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and is a diplomate of the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, the Association of Academic Physiatrists and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Dr. Jermyn has lectured nationally on the topic of pain management and has a particular interest in HIV pain management.  He appears frequently on area “Top Doc” lists and is a frequently cited expert in media stories on pain management.  

Tips for shoveling snow

Richard Jermyn, DO

Shoveling snow on a crisp winter day can be exhilarating exercise.  Unfortunately, shoveling snow with bad body mechanics also can be an open door to lower back pain.

Dr. Richard Jermyn, director of the University Pain Care Center at the UMDNJ-School of Osteopathic Medicine offers these tips for clearing your sidewalk without being sidelined by low back pain. 

  • Warm up with several minutes of gentle stretching exercises.  Slowly bend forward and backwards from the waist to loosen up the back muscles you’ll be using.
  • When digging, focus on bending at the knees and not at the waist. 
  • As you lift, keep the shovel close to your body, continue breathing and tighten the stomach muscles.  Keep the weight of the snow close to your body.
  • Instead of twisting to remove the snow, pivot slowly on your feet.  This provides a stable base of support and shifts some of the stress away from the lower back.
  • Don’t throw snow from the shovel. Instead turn the shovel upside down to dump the snow.
  • Every few minutes stop shoveling, stand upright and slowly bend backwards five or six times.
  • When you’re done, it’s important to rest properly.  Sit upright in a chair with a small pillow or rolled-up towel supporting your lower back.  If back pain arrives several hours after shoveling it’s most likely because you rested in a slouching position.
  • If you experience low back pain, apply ice for 10 to 20 minutes at a time during the first 48 hours to slow any inflammation or swelling, numb sore tissue and slow the pain and spasm reactions between the nerves.
  • After the first 48 hours, apply heat or alternate between cold and heat to relieve soreness. 
  • Consult your physician if any soreness continues beyond a week, if any pain or numbness radiates from the lower back into the legs, or if pain worsens when standing or walking.