exercises for dentists
TRANSCRIPT
EXERCISES FOR DENTISTS
Present & Multimedia edition by: Massoud Amiri Moghaddam
Studies show work-related pain in the dental field is not decreasingOver half of all dental professionals continue to experience work-related pain
Poor Ergonomics = Musculoskeletal Disorders
Two Most Common Causes for Musculoskeletal
Disorders in the Dental Health Profession
Cumulative Traumas
Prolonged Static Postures
Human body was designed for movement
WHEN TO EXERCISE?Perform these simple exercises at the start of the day, between patients, or while waiting for patient to rinse out or the DSA is mixing materials
1 )THE "FIVE TIMES" HAND AND WRIST EXERCISES Excessive wrist extension, flexion or forearm pronation can increase the risk of repetitive strain injuries, such as Carpel Tunnel Syndrome. This set of four exercises should help reduce the likelihood of this painful condition occurring .
Exercise 1Make a tight fist, hold for five second and release, relaxing hand and fingers. Repeat five times
Exercise 2Stretch your fingers wide. Hold for 5 seconds, and then return hand to
relaxed position. Repeat five times.
Exercise 3Hold arms out in front at shoulder height ,with palmsof hands facing downwards .
Rotate your hands 5 times clockwise and 5 times anti-clockwise .
Exercise 4Hold your arms out to the side of you at 90 degrees to your trunk at shoulder height Flap your hands up and down 5 times from the wrist . Tips
Support arms when workingRemember to support forearms as this produces a reduction in muscle contraction in erector spinae and trapezius muscles and helps to prevent fatigue. Do this by resting arms on sides of dental chair
2 )TWO NECK EXERCISES
Neck and backstretches for use whilst working in a dental surgery chair or at a computer or writing at a desk.
Horizontal Turns Chin Tucks
Exercise 1) Horizontal turnsKeeping the chin up and in the horizontal plane turn head from side to side, 90 degrees in each direction, keeping cervical spine straight. Make smooth gliding movements.
!Exercise 2)Chin tucks ("Doing the chicken")
Keeping the head level (keep looking straight ahead) .
Tuck in chin and then lengthen back of neck
3 )TWO STRETCHES TO TRY WHILST SITTING IN THE DENTAL CHAIR
Shoulder Lifts Backward Arching
Exercise 1) Shoulder liftsRaise shoulders towards your ears and then lower and relax shoulders. Breath in deeply whilst raising shoulders, breathe out on relaxing shoulders.
Exercise 2) Backward ArchingStretch backward over the edge of the backrest. Remember to stretch the neck at the same time:
you can combine this exercise with 'Chin tucks .'Hold arms at 45 degrees to the trunk; stretch arms at the same time .
Hold three seconds and return to the vertical position and repeat .
4 )END OF CLINICAL SESSION STRETCHES FOR THE LOWER BACK
1 )Pelvic rocking .2 )At the end of a working session .
3 )Whilst walking out through the door .
Exercise 1) Pelvic rockingRock pelvis forward and backward whilst sitting in the chair. Practice initially siting on your hands to feel the upward and then forward and downward movements of your hipbones. Once you have mastered this movement place your hands on your hips
Exercise 2) At the end of a working sessionStand up with feet slightly apart. Place hands on either side of the lower spine, gently push hips forward, and then lean the body backwards from the hips. Return to vertical position, relax and repeat five times.
Exercise 3)whilst walking out through the doorStand in the doorway. Feet slightly apart. Raise arms upwards and place hands on each side of the lintel of the doorway. Supporting your weight with your hands and arms, press body forward from the pelvis. Relax and repeat .
In addition to using this occupationally orientated exercise program we recommend taking aerobic exercise to look after your cardiovascular fitness, as one of the other major cause of dentist's early retirement is
cardiovascular disease…
It doesn't matter what type of exercise it is. Choose a sport or walking briskly or running. Anything to make your heart work a bit harder for 30-40 minutes, 3 times a week. General exercise has been shown to be important for stress relief and feeling of well-being. It can have a preventative effect on spinal pain
Thanks For Your Attention