Community Magazine February 2003

A n old friend came into the office for a routine dental visit. He was wearing an ace bandage on one of his wrists. “I can’t take the pain… I have carpal tunnel syndrome. I’m going to do the operation so I can get some relief.” He had the oper- ation – but he didn’t get the relief he expected. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a pinched nerve in the wrist. Because den- tists work with their hands all day this is a common problem. Dentists have become quite experienced at how to prevent this painful disorder – with a simple one minute exercise. The person suffering from Carpal tun- nel syndrome usually feels tingling and numbness in the first three or four fingers of the hand or pain/burning in the hand or fingers. Besides Carpal tunnel syndrome there are a growing problem of work-relat- ed pain and muscular-skeletal disorders (MSD). These pain disorders are common to anyone that sits behind a computer or does any repetitive activity. Why is there such a problem and what can be done to avoid it? The two greatest contributing factors to this pain are: 1. Posture related . Standing, sitting, twisting in prolonged awkward positions will strain the muscles. 2. Repetitive Movement - You can always do something for a short period of time even if it may stress the system. It’s when the posture or hand and arm movements are repeated that problems occur. Working as a dentist or at a computer key- board for long periods of time without tak- ing the time to stretch can lead to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. If your wife or mother makes handmade Kibbeh, Samboosak, Kaak or any of the other delicacies that we enjoy - the repeated hand movement can lead to pain and discomfort. Prolonged sit- ting infrequent breaks and lack of exercise are all risk factors contributing to Muscular-skeletal Disorder (MSD) The One thing that you can do to avoid- ing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Muscular-skeletal Disorder (MSD) is to S-T-R-E-T-C-H. Take frequent breaks and perform simple stretching exercises. When you start feeling discomfort – take a stretch break. Most people are familiar with stretching exercises for the back, shoulders, legs etc. What most people are NOT familiar with are the simple hand exercises that should be done during the day. If you work at a computer or enjoy making handmade edi- ble delights - Do these one minute exercis- es once each hour to help prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Dr. Doueck has practiced restorative dentistry in the community for over 25 years and has taken over 1000 hours of advanced training. He is a clinical consultant to the Dental Advisor, a monthly publication Clarification: Last month’s article “Friday Night Dental Emergencies” made references both to situations that may occur on Shabbat and/or during the week. As always it is recommended that one consult their local rabbi before under- 20 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE s ” xc WH A T C A N A D E N T I S T T E A C H Y O U A B O U T Carpal Tunnel Syndrome? B Y : J A C Q U E S D O U E C K D D S CM