Being in the dental profession, Dr. Bonar's hands were always closed around a hand piece or small instrument, with pressure, for 8-10 hours a day. The right wrist and palm of her hand would ache and throb and was tender to the touch. These symptoms were so bad that she regularly needed to take ibuprofen in the afternoons to get her through the day. These symptoms continued for about five years until she finally began treatment with me at Dorfman Kinesiology.
The cause and solution to Dr. Bonar's symptoms were immediately evident. I did manual massage on the effected areas, which opened up the space in the carpal tunnel area and hand that was constricted and swollen. According to Dr. Bonar, this work on her wrist and hand "prevented me from needing surgery in that area." In addition to the massage, I instructed Dr. Bonar on "in between patient exercises" to continue opening the space in the carpal tunnel area during working hours. These exercises proved to be highly effective in managing her symptoms outside of the clinic. (Click here for a video demonstration of these exercises.)
One final step in resolving this case involved a biomechanic evaluation of Dr. Bonar in her working environment. I visited her dental office, checked out her mechanics and offered simple corrections that would help prevent future problems in the carpal tunnel area. Dr. Bonar was so pleased with this intervention that she scheduled an in-service for all Grand Dentistry staff to meet with me to talk about correct biomechanics and dental-specific stretching. She also arranged for me to observe all the staff, from front desk workers to dental hygienists, in their working environment. I followed up on these observations with one-to-one consultations that addressed problematic biomechanics and as well as specific injury prevention and rehabilitation issues.
Dr. Bonar reports that, since my visit, Grand Dentistry has experienced fewer work-related injuries and absences. According to Dr. Bonar, "all dentists should take a proactive approach to keeping their bodies, especially their hands and wrists, 100% healthy to better serve their patients longer." In keeping with this proactive approach she continues to work with me on a regular basis for maintenance and remains diligent with her stretches and exercises on a daily basis.
Dr. Bonar's situation is a case in point to one of my favorite saying: It's not what you do but how you do it. Although it is true that dental professionals are at a high risk for experiencing Carpal Tunnel symptoms, they are not in any way destined for this condition just because of their profession. Anyone in the dental field, or any profession that puts a lot of stress on the hands and wrists, can Feel Better Forever with these simple methods for correcting Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
