Written by Desiree Walker, DDS, FICD
Last week I gave myself a manicure. It was exactly what overworked dentists needed…or was it? Sure, my hands looked better, but deep down my dental mainstay wasn’t all that healthy.
As a society, we value the appearance of our hands. In the United States, he spends $8.5 billion on salon services, a large portion of which is devoted to manicures.1 Remarkably, nail polish tops the cosmetics list, generating nearly $600 million in revenue.1 However, as dental professionals, we know that this kind of beauty is only superficial. What really matters is how well your hands work, how healthy your hands are, and whether you can work without pain.
daily wear and tear
Hand injuries are common in our profession. These injuries range from everyday hand fatigue to frequent hand cramps to nerve entrapment that causes carpal tunnel syndrome. If our hands don’t work, we can’t work. They are also unable to enjoy life outside of dentistry, with friends, family, or activities.
As explained in my article, first article In this series, our bodies are broken by our environment and how we move within it. When it comes to hand health, ergonomic equipment is an important part of the environment. According to research, the important factors for hand health are:
- Instrument width (the wider the better)
- Weight (lighter is better)
- Sharpness (the sharper the better)2
These properties help loosen your grip, reducing overuse and fatigue of the small muscles in your hands. Ergonomic equipment creates a safer environment for us.
But is there a way to do it? move How to make our hands fit better? And are the health of our hands missing elements related to the health of the whole body? Yes, yes!
The missing element is grip strength. According to research, Poor grip strength increases risk of heart attack, stroke, and all-cause mortality.3 The findings suggest that stronger grip strength indicates more muscle mass, which develops with increased activity and improved health.
oh! It’s incredible to think how much power our hands have in fitness.
So how can you combat the risks to hand health and overall health? I like to take a two-step approach to hand fitness and grip strength training: mobility and strength. Here we have listed some recommended exercises that you can do not only at work, but also outside of work, such as at home or at the gym.
As a side note, the last exercise (the most difficult one) is my favorite, not only to strengthen your grip, but also to relieve pain. This is the basis for my fitness training, especially for obstacles. american ninja warrior.
Try these exercises, use progressions if you like, and have fun. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. Whether it’s on the pull-up bar or on Instagram, I’m here to help you improve your fitness!
Hand stretches between patients
Below is a simple stretching routine. Only he has 3 moves. It’s great to use it in between scheduled patients.
