Prof. Asaad Javaid MCPS, MDS Dept of Operative Dentistry Peshawar Dental College Peshawar

in Operative Dentistry Clinics & recommended exercises Stress free Working in Operative Dentistry Clinics & recommended exercises

Erect spine You should sit with your back bone in erect position

Back support Your Back should be well supported by the back rest

Firmly placed feet Your feet should be firmly placed on the ground

Thighs parallel to floor Your thighs should be parallel to the floor

Relaxed shoulder Your shoulders should be relaxed

Visibility of operation site you must be able to see the area clearly where you want to work

No Neck Bending While working on upper jaw your neck should not be unnecessarily bent

No back bending you must not bend your back unnecessarily

Mandibular parallelism While working on the lower jaw, patient’s occlusal plane should be parallel to floor

Proper use of instruments you should hold the mirror in non working hand and reflects the light

Consequences of stressed working Discomfort > chronic pain Fatigue > chances of increased errors, accidents and injuries Work-related musculoskeletal disorder (MSDs)

MSDs: Signs Decreased range of motion Deformity Decreased grip strength Loss of muscle function

MSDs: Symptoms Pain Numbness Tingling Burning Cramping Stiffness

Musculoskeletal Disorders Headaches Neck and shoulder pain Back pain Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS; a wrist injury) 17

Exercises Stretching and strengthening the muscles that support the back and neck and those used in the forearm, wrist, and hand will help them remain strong and healthy

Hand Exercises Resting the hands frequently is believed to be one of the most important factors in preventing CTS Use the following exercises to stretch and relax the muscles in the hand

Slowly open & close your hands from a completely Discuss the benefits of this exercise. Slowly open & close your hands from a completely open position to a completely closed position ending with fingers tucked into palms 20

Press the palms together & then relax What part of the body benefits from this exercise? Press the palms together & then relax Copyright © 2009, 2006 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. 21

Gently pull & relax each finger on each hand separately 22

Cross the wrists & gently stretch and relax What repetitive motions in the dental office might cause pain in the wrists? Cross the wrists & gently stretch and relax 23

Eye Exercises To relieve eyestrain caused by focusing intensely at one depth of vision for long periods Rub your palms together to warm them & place them on your eyes for 5 sec. Look up from the task and focus your eyes at a distance for approximately 20 seconds Repeat these exercises many times a day Have the class practice this exercise in class. How frequently should this exercise be performed? 24

Back Exercise Let the head roll forward slowly and allow the arms and head to fall between the knees; hold for a few seconds, then rise slowly by contracting the stomach muscles and rolling up. Bring the head up last

Neck Exercises Try head rotations for neck stiffness. Head rotations involve tilting the head from right to left, as well as forward and backward, without forcing the motion beyond your range of comfort Demonstrate neck exercises to the class. What might result if the motion is jerky or the head is tilted beyond a comfortable range? 26

Shoulder Exercises Shoulder-shrugging can be used to stretch shoulder muscles that may be stressed by holding oral evacuators & instruments Pull the shoulders up toward the ears, then roll them backward and forward in a circular motion. 27

Shoulder shrugging 28