Ergonomics and musculoskeletal pain among postgraduate students and faculty members of the School of Dentistry of the University of Barcelona (Spain). A cross-sectional study

Abstract

:e425-9.Ergonomics and musculoskeletal pain in dentists e425 AbstractObjectives: To evaluate the intensity and location of musculoskeletal pain suffered by students and professors from different postgraduate programs of the School of Dentistry of the University of Barcelona (Spain), to identify the variables related to the occurrence of musculoskeletal symptoms and signs, and to establish possible preventive measures for such disorders. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was made among students and faculty members from different postgraduate courses of the School of Dentistry at the University of Barcelona between May and June 2007. A total of 74 dentists (54 postgraduate students and 20 faculty members) completed an anonymous questionnaire containing 19 questions. The variables were divided into three main groups: sociodemographic information, ergonomic features and musculoskeletal pain arising from professional practice. Results: Most of the dentists (79.8%) had experienced some kind of musculoskeletal pain in the last 6 months. On comparing the different locations of pain (lumbar, cervical, dorsal, wrist, shoulder and others), the neck was found to be the most commonly affected location (58% of all subjects), and only 34% of the respondents took some preventive measures against musculoskeletal disorders. Women showed a higher frequency of intense pain involving the cervical, lumbar, dorsal and wrist areas (p<0.05). A higher incidence of wrist pain was recorded in professionals exclusively dedicated to oral surgery (p<0.05). No statistically significant correlation was found between the workload (hours) and pain in the different anatomical locations (p>0.05).Conclusions: An important incidence of pain symptoms secondary to musculoskeletal disorders was observed, particularly in the cervical region. Females and younger dentists showed a higher frequency of such symptoms. The implementation of preventive measures is necessary, in view of the high incidence of these disorders.

Prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among physical therapists

“…This is accounted for their higher body weight, smaller height and differences in muscle strength and composition [13,19,21,22]. Smaller body builds among females (Table 1) act as a disadvantage when lifting or transferring patients and equipments; and applying body force during treatment, putting extra load on their body, especially spine.…”

Conhecimento de ergonomia e desordens osteomusculares entre estudantes de Odontologia

“…Apesar da existência de regulamentos específicos que normatizam as rotinas da prática odontológica, visando à otimização do trabalho e consequentemente a mais saúde, conforto e segurança para o trabalhador, ainda é alta a ocorrência de distúrbios osteomusculares entre os profissionais. Não há unanimidade na adoção de medidas preventivas no exercício clínico diário, tanto entre os estudantes de Odontologia quanto entre os cirurgiões-dentistas [7][8][9]10,19,23 . Ergonomia é a disciplina científica relacionada com a compreensão das interações entre seres humanos e outros elementos de um sistema, a fim de otimizar o bem-estar humano e do sistema global de desempenho.…”

“…Estudos apontam prevalência entre 60% e 93% de CDs que relataram desconforto, dores ou sofrer de algum tipo de lesão musculoesquelética, sendo o pescoço, o ombro, os membros superiores e, principalmente, a região lombar as partes anatômicas mais afetadas. Esses problemas são decorrentes das más posturas adotadas no exercício da profissão, pois os profissionais permanecem sentados durante horas, realizando movimentos repetitivos, forçando as estruturas articulares e musculares 7,8 . Visando à correção ou à melhoria da atividade prática na clínica odontológica, a Ergonomia aplicada à Odontologia tem como finalidade desenvolver um ambiente ergonomicamente planejado, com equipamentos racionalmente distribuídos, para diminuir o estresse físico e cognitivo, prevenir as doenças relacionadas ao exercício profissional, buscando um aumento de produtividade, melhoria na qualidade do serviço prestado e diminuição da fadiga na equipe de trabalho [9][10][11] .…”

Occupational Hazards in Prosthetic Dentistry

“…The nature of prosthetic practice is such that it widens the circle of contact of potentially harmful agents thereby increasing the susceptibility to a number of occupational hazards [35]. Modern prosthodontic practice is equipped with sophisticated work area designs with adequate ventilation and advanced armamentarium that could possibly reduce noise pollution and risks associated with chemical and ergonomic hazards.…”