Carpal Tunnel Syndrome | RSI risk for dental professionals?
- Anita
- Oct 21, 2024
- 6 min read
Updated: Jan 10
Carpal tunnel syndrome and other Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI) are common risks for dental professionals. Read on for practical tips on how to avoid these injuries in your dental career.
Strategies to Minimize RSI Risk
Implementing strategic changes to your work environment and habits can significantly reduce your risk of developing debilitating conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome and other Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI).
Welcome to My Blog dedicated to #dentalprofessionals - #dentists, #dentaltherapists, #dentalhygienists, #dentalnurses and #dentalassistants who are suffering from #muscularskeletalpain, #RSI from working in #dentistry.
Work with a Dental Nurse | Assistant
The assistance of a dental nurse or assistant allows you to maintain optimal posture and reduce repetitive, awkward movements. They can handle recording indices, aspiration, passing instruments, and preparing materials, freeing you to focus on the procedure with better body ergonomics.
Choose Ergonomic, Chunky Hand Instruments
The size and shape of your instruments matter immensely. Replace older, narrow instruments with chunky, ergonomic handles. These wider grips reduce the force needed to hold the instrument, decreasing muscle strain in your fingers and wrist.
💡 Recommendation: I highly recommend instruments from Hu-Friedy. Their handles are specifically designed for ergonomics, offering superior comfort. Furthermore, the high-quality materials they use ensure the instruments last longer, offering a better long-term investment.
Practice Regular Stretching
Micro-breaks for stretching are crucial for relieving tension and improving circulation in your hands, wrists, and arms. Integrate short stretching routines throughout your day to counteract repetitive motion.
🎁 Great Resource: To help you start immediately, you can download this Stretching Sheet specifically designed for dental professionals.
Optimize Your Ergonomics and Posture
Proper body mechanics are the foundation of injury prevention. Pay close attention to your posture not just when working chairside, but throughout your daily activities.
Key Posture Guidelines
Maintain a Neutral Posture: Strive to keep your body in a neutral posture as much as possible. This means aligning your head, neck, trunk, and limbs so that joints are not excessively flexed or extended. Consistency is key—apply this rule both at the dental operatory and during your everyday tasks.
Relax the Upper Body: When performing procedures, consciously relax your upper body. Avoid shrugging your shoulders or tensing your neck muscles, which significantly contributes to fatigue and strain.
Keep Shoulders Down and Elbows Close: Position yourself so your shoulders are relaxed and down, and your elbows remain close to your body. Working with your arms extended away from your body places unnecessary strain on the shoulder and back muscles, increasing the risk of injury.
Utilize Patient Chair Positioning
Don't adjust your body to the patient; adjust the patient to your body! Change the patient chair position frequently throughout the procedure. Proper patient positioning allows you to maintain the neutral posture (shoulders down, elbows close) for every quadrant and surface you are working on, minimizing awkward reaches and twists.
Practice a Relaxed Grip
Consciously relax your grip on both hand instruments and high/low-speed handpieces. Many professionals unconsciously grip instruments too tightly, which fatigues the muscles and compresses the tendons in the forearm and wrist. Use only the minimum necessary force to maintain control.
7. Maintain a Neutral Hand Position While Scaling
When performing tasks like hand scaling, pay close attention to keeping your hand and wrist in a neutral, straight alignment. Avoid flexing or extending the wrist sharply, as this puts immense pressure on the carpal tunnel structures.
Musculoskeletal Support and Acute Management
Beyond chair-side ergonomics, proactively supporting your body through strength training and managing acute symptoms are vital steps in comprehensive RSI prevention.
Prioritize Hand Rest and Recovery
This is challenging, but essential: limit non-work activities that stress your hands and wrists. Activities like excessive phone scrolling, texting, gaming, computer work, or hobbies like knitting keep your hand flexor tendons active. Recognize that once carpal tunnel pain starts, it is notoriously difficult to resolve. Take this advice seriously and consciously substitute these activities with non-hand-intensive rest.
Avoid Wrist Strain During Acute Pain
If you are experiencing the acute stage of pain or initial symptoms, you must avoid putting strain on your wrist. Be mindful of daily movements and especially during exercise. For instance, temporarily substitute or modify exercises that place direct weight on the wrists, such as avoiding push-ups or similar floor exercises.
Strengthen Supportive Muscles
Since the muscular systems are interconnected, strengthening key supportive muscles will help stabilize your working posture and reduce strain on your wrists and hands. Focus particularly on strengthening your core, upper back muscles, shoulders, and shoulder blades. A strong core provides the foundation for maintaining a neutral working posture for longer periods.
11. Use Thermal Therapy for Inflammation
To help manage tissue inflammation that may arise from overuse, apply hot and cold presses. Cold therapy (ice) can help subside acute inflammation and pain, while heat therapy can relax tight muscles and increase blood flow.
12. Utilize Nighttime Wrist Support
If you are experiencing symptoms, consider wearing a wrist splint or support during the night. Many people sleep with their wrists flexed or bent, which can exacerbate carpal tunnel symptoms. A splint keeps the wrist in a neutral, resting position, reducing nerve compression while you sleep.
13. Manage Acute Pain with Analgesics
If you are in an acute state of pain, using over-the-counter analgesics (pain relievers and anti-inflammatories) can help manage the immediate discomfort and inflammation. Always consult a healthcare professional for appropriate pain management and before starting any medication regimen.
Use Time Management to Protect Your Body
14. Ensure Adequate Patient Treatment Time
Rushing through procedures due to a packed schedule forces you to use less optimal posture, increase grip strength, and accelerate repetitive movements, which dramatically increases the risk of injury. Make sure you have an adequate amount of time allocated to treat your patients. This allows you to take necessary micro-breaks, adjust patient positioning, and maintain the relaxed, neutral posture that prevents strain.
The risk of Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI) like carpal tunnel syndrome is high in dentistry, but it is not inevitable. By making intentional changes, you can protect your career and your health.
Equipment Solutions: Minimizing Cord Drag
Even high-quality instruments can lead to strain if their cords are heavy or pull on your wrist. Solutions designed to manage cord weight can significantly improve comfort.
15. Utilizing Cord Management Tools (#CordEze)
Consider using a tool like CordEze. This is a specialized wrist band designed to hold the cord of your hand instruments (like ultrasonic scalers or hand-pieces), effectively minimizing the weight of the cord pulling on your wrist and hand. Reducing this drag can dramatically decrease fatigue and strain over the course of the workday.
CordEze offers three specialized versions to handle different cord types:
CordEze CLASSIC: For standard cords including those on ultrasonic scalers, Cavitrons, and handpieces.
The CordEze PIVOT is the ideal solution for managing thicker cords, such as those attached to HVE units.
The ACE CordEze represents the latest design in Advanced Cord Ergonomics.
🇨🇦 Canadian Professionals: I am the Canadian representative for CordEze. If you would like to see how this product can benefit your practice, you can book a demonstration by sending an email to contact@loosehands.com
Watch a Demo: See how CordEze works and how to use it effectively here:
🇨🇦 Canadian Professionals order Here:
Hear From a Colleague
Here is a review from Katrina, a dental hygienist, who suffered from RSI and found success through a focused approach with LOOSE HANDS:
Video Title: 6 week LOOSE HANDS for dental professionals PROGRAM review:
Katrina, a dental hygienist and active person, struggled with debilitating body pain, including her fingers, elbows, shoulders, and back, despite having nursing support and ergonomic equipment [00:33]. She joined the program and found personalized one-on-one support that has provided her with techniques she uses every day to help manage her symptoms [01:02].
Watch Katrina’s full review here:
Ready to Start Your Journey?
If you are currently experiencing pain or want a personalized plan to prevent injury, take the next step:
I offer a FREE NO OBLIGATION assessment online meeting where we can assess your specific needs and challenges.
Contact: contact@loosehands.com
JOIN 7 on demand sessions SHAKE YOUR DAY OFF with LOOSE HANDS. (plus a bonus session)
50% DISCOUNT: ShakeYourDayOff50
7 Best Stretching Exercises & Meditation To Do At Home after work for Dental Professionals.
Sessions are designed for busy dental professionals who are exhausted by end of their day. Sessions are short but effective to restore your body and mind. Enjoy!
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