Musculoskeletal disorders can cause problems in dentistry workplace causing the ability to not be able to perform duties in the workplace. Musculoskeletal disorders have increased worldwide in the workplaces for the past decade. Work related injuries can also be a part of musculoskeletal disorders such as neck and shoulder, headaches, back pain, and carpal tunnel.
These are the main factors of musculoskeletal disorders in the dentistry field, in which this relate to the dentist and dental assistant. This research is more detailed in neck and shoulder pain, in which it explains the symptoms, prevention of the workplace and most likely the outcome to prevent the risk of the neck and shoulder pain injuries. Lack of upper extremity and inadequate work break can also be risk factors in dentistry. The severity of symptoms can go from mild periodic to severe chronic and debilitating conditions.
Symptoms in neck and shoulder pain include pain, numbness, and tingling. These symptoms can cause problems in the workplace or unable to perform daily tasks. The causes of musculoskeletal disorders include equipment that is poorly designed or improperly used. The use of various types of force by parts of the body; awkward posture; repetition; the use of maintain daily tasks. (http://www.bls.gov/news.release/osh2.nr0.htm.).
Symptoms starting from the neck create tension and the muscles began to tighten. The neck area is one of the major problems in modern society in which in the duration of sitting and twisting or bending of the trunk. Risk factors in this particular injury can be divided in three work related categories. Neck flexion, arm posture, arm force is evidence for neck pain and work related issues.( Scandinavian Journal of Work, E...
... middle of paper ...
...ne of the main occupational health hazards affecting dental practioners. The outcome on preventing these syndromes is to make sure the dentist and dental assistant positioned while sitting correctly in comfortable posture. Sitting position is the most important factor due to the neck and shoulder area. Forceful stress can be the main cause of the neck and shoulders. Using and passing the equipment and dental instruments properly.
To reduce discomfort in the neck and shoulder relax the arms and elbows to the side. This method will reduce the pain and aches less flexion to the neck. Following these important procedures in dentistry will decrease these musculoskeletal disorders.
References
1. . .( Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health © 2000
2. (http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2474/14/118
3. (http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2474/14/118
Dental hygiene is amongst many professions that come with an increased risk of injury. In fact, evidence suggests that the incidence of dental professionals acquiring musculoskeletal disorders is reaching 96%. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), these complications are a result of “repetitive motion or awkward posture for more than 2 hours at a time, unassisted frequent manual handling (eg, scaling an area using the same strokes), and unassisted forced manual handling (eg, heavy calculus removal using hand-activated instruments)”. These complications not only affect the quality of life for the
Based on the initial pain medicine evaluation report dated 06/22/15, the patient complains of constant neck pain which radiates down to the bilateral upper extremity, fingers and hands. Pain is accompanied by intermittent tingling and numbness in the bilateral upper extremities to the level of the fingers and muscle weakness. The neck pain is associated with occipital, temporal and frontal headaches and muscle spasms in the neck area. The patient describes the pain as aching, burning, pins and needles, sharp, and stabbing. The pain is aggravated by activity, flexion/extension, prolonged sitting, pulling, pushing, repetitive head motions and standing. She also reports severe difficulty in sleep.
In conservative therapy, there is no single best treatment option. There are many treatments like neural mobilization technique, TENS, IFT, US, SWD, neck muscle strengthening exercise, traction, massage, hydrocollator packs, cervical mobilization etc…
Due to poor positioning, dental hygienist are at a risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders such as “the tendons, tendons sheaths, muscles, and nerves of hands, wrists, arms, elbows, shoulders, neck and back” (Darby & Walsh page 144). 70% of members of the dental team, including dentists, assistants and hygienists reported of having some sort of back pain due to improper positioning http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2013-archive/july/posturing-for-relief). Of those 70%, 79% admitted that their back pain was indeed worsening as they continued to perform the same tasks http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2013-archive/july/posturing-for-relief).. This is primarily due to repetitive strain syndrome, which include muscoskeletal
There is a very high prevalence of these disorders in both dental hygienists and dentists. It is not centered on dental hygienists alone. Some other musculoskeletal disorders experienced are tendonitis, neuropathy, and tension neck syndrome and trapezius myalgia. MSD pain and neuropathy in hygienists alone ranges from 60% to 96%. These disorders arise from certain issues in positioning as well as heavy workloads and exertion in awkward postures. The most affected muscle tends to be the Trapezius because that’s where most of the work load is centered when working on patients (Morse et al, 2007). When working on the maxillary arch, it is the most difficult to position one in a successful ergonomic position. It causes the hygienist to lean and stretch forward. One of the biggest causative factors for bad positioning involves the misuse of the operator chair. If the operator is sat too high it can cause falls, if it is too low it can cause slouching as well as knee or back pain. Another causative factor in these disorders is not having the patient work with the hygienist. The patient can also move their heads in any direction unless they have neck or shoulder issues or are impaired (Valachi, 2012). In the article, Local anesthetic Syringe Ergonomics and Student Preferences, the authors stated “It has been hypothesized that dentists and dental hygienists have heightened risks for wrist deviations
Chronic stiff neck can cause debilitating pain and difficulty in performing daily activities. Fortunately, drugs and therapies are available to help relieve pain and stiffness. Sometimes, the condition requires surgery. The treatment has a better chance of success when it starts preparation for use, particularly for children.
Repetitive arm use can cause fatigue of shoulder muscles and this has been a potential link to the development of shoulder pain. A reduction in force generation of shoulder muscles might lead to a reduction in control or stabilization for joint motions, such as the GH joint. The infraspinatus has been seen to play a significant role in the alteration of GH kinematics when fatigued while other shoulder musculature, such as the anterior/posterior deltoid and serratus anterior, did not alter GH kinematics while fatigued. Altered scapular kinematics have been found after fatiguing external rotators such as the infraspinatus. decreased scapular posterior tilt, upward rotation, and external rotation during arm elevation after the external rotators were fatigued. confirmed a decrease in scapular posterior tilt from external rotator fatigue, but also noted an increase in scapular upward rotation at 60° of arm elevation. also stated an increase in scapular upward rotation with arm elevation following fatigue.
Dentistry is a fascinating profession for its approach to patients, restoring function as well as es-thetic. I believe that Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery is the most important specialty in dentistry and medicine which combines art with science. It is appealing when patients leave the Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (OMS) clinics not only with good function and esthetic, but also in a better psychological status. And I find the AAOMS’s motto “Saving Faces.. Changing Lives..” very insi...
Musculoskeletal pain generally arises due to an injury, infection or overuse/exertion. This is generally marked by muscle tenderness, weakness, limited range, stiffness and decreased nerve conduction velocity.²Here, we wanted to analyse the musculoskeletal pain among school and university female teachers. They have various works ranging from giving lectures, checking assignments to tedious computer work. These all are the reasons for the increase neck, shoulder and back pain. Teachers in colleges have to give long hours of lectures in standing whereas teachers in high school have more stress and work load as they have to cover large syllabuses including competitive exams. Awoman has to manage the whole house taking care of elderly as well as her children. And being a teacher definitely increases the wholesome workload. Whereas men on the other hand, are not at all active in the household chores, which thereby proves the difference in the workload among the two genders.Also women, undergoes various hormonal changes in the body and many a times musculoskeletal pain is one the symptoms.
By repeatedly engaging in this behavior, along with having to reach for dental instruments and attempting to keep the patient in a comfortable position, dentists are at a higher risk of musculoskeletal pain or injury1. As a result of experiencing musculoskeletal pain, some outcomes might include an increase in fatigue and discomfort and/or a decrease in fine motor skills thus, limiting the number of patients that can be seen by the dentist1. According to a review by Banerjee et al., researchers found through a survey directed at dental practitioners, that discomfort in those surveyed occurred at a rate of 69.5% in the wrist or hands, 68.5% in the neck, 67.4% in the upper back, 56.8% in the lower back, and 60% in the
On any single day, a person will exert magnitudes of force and pressure on all bodily joints, as well as muscles connected to those joints, by everyday activities such as walking, sitting, running, or jumping. Chiropractic care, done by a professional, is a healthy and necessary way to release the tensions and stress caused by misuse of the body. For example, poor posture causes improper alignment of the vertebral column; in order to correct the problem, a chiropractic adjustment may be needed. Chiropractic manipulations are specifically directed towards relieving tensions and preventing soreness from reoccurring. The primary goal of a chiropractic adjustment is to return the joint back to its original position, as it may have
According to the statement issued by the United States Department of Labor, work-related musculoskeletal disorders are a leading cause of pain, suffering,
carpenters. “Carpenters suffer from many types of strains and sprains, but according to a 1997 study of more than 10,000 carpenters in the state of Washington, back strains accounted for the largest group of workers compensation claims filed for musculoskeletal disorders. "The best way to prevent a back injury from the very beginning is to use proper lifting techniques," Carpenters may also want to order a copy of OSHA 's Ergonomics Program guide. It describes the symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders -- running the gamut from carpal tunnel syndrome to disorders of the hips and knees -- and offers tips on how to prevent and treat them”. (Kloberdanz, Kristin, M.A. 20 Jan.
suggests that a GPR intervention in subjects with persistent LBP induces a greater improvement on pain and disability as compared to a stabilization exercise program (2). This study showed a significant improvement on disability and intensity of pain employing a GPR program, using these three postures in particular, as compared to a conventional physical therapy regimen, in patients with persistent LBP. Another clinical trial study assessed the effectiveness of global postural reeducation (GPR) relative to segmental exercises (stretching) in the treatment of scapular dyskinesis (SD) associated with neck pain (3). The study found that GPR and stretching exercise had similar effects on function of the neck and upper extremity in patients with SD associated with neck pain. When comparing groups, GPR was superior to streching in improving pain and quality of
Ergonomics involves designing workplaces and work tools to be used easily, efficiently and effectively by people. The overall goal is to promote health and productivity in the workplace. Where ergonomic principles are not applied, chronic musculoskeletal disorders such as tendinitis of the arm and hand, eyestrain injury and back injuries may be common.Most people are concerned when they cannot use parts of the body like they know they should be able to use them. People are often unaware of ways to prevent injury, and ergonomics will introduce methods that will help reduce those injuries. Chiropractors recommend using ergonomics in a professional environment as well as at home. Following simple guidelines can help prevent injury to the arms and hands, eyes, and back.