I had back surgery two summers ago and last winter was misery; but this winter I actually enjoyed getting outside with my new Snow Joe snow shovel. This thing is worth its weight in gold.
We have used this shovel quite a few times this winter. It does reduce back strain and what I really like, is the ability to fling the snow farther away with ease. The only problem is we only have one, and two people usually doing the shoveling. We will be purchasing a second one in the near future.
It does what it says it should do. Being over 6'2" I found the handle to be a little too short and could feel a strain in my upper back and shoulders. To resolve this problem I would extend the length of the handle and add a few more notches for adjustment.