Would like to suggest the concept of anterior support to alleviate muscle overuse in situations where positions are sustained for more than brief periods. This is most obvious in dentistry and surgery but also occurs in industry as well. Dentists for example work in a forward incline position for extended periods and have an extremely high rate of early retirement due to back pain. The position itself is well within the normal parameters of spine movement and is rarely the problem. Sustaining the position however is a problem and back pain is already a problem by the 2nd and 3rd year of dental school according to professors at numerous dental colleges.
We know that sustained muscle contraction decreases blood flow which leads to inadequate oxygen/nutrition in the tissue. This results in trigger point formation that often becomes a self-sustaining or even escalating situation. Attempts at maintaining ideal “posture” (doing dentistry while sitting fully erect) have failed as the incidence of pain and dysfunction have increased over the decades. Sitting upright has also taken the practitioner away from direct visualization of their worksite.
So what’s the solution? Continue reading →