Surgitel from the president 2014 06
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A large majority of dental professionals and surgeons today experience pain in their necks, shoulders, and upper backs. Many practitioners believe chronic pain is a necessary evil inseparable from the practice of dentistry or surgery. But, work-related pain can be avoidable or reversible if we work with ergonomically designed loupes and headlights. Loupes, often called surgical telescopes, establish one’s posture (good or bad). 1 Headlights may either support or break the posture established by loupes. Are Tools Available for Practicing Dentistry or Surgery Pain-Free? The answer is definitely yes. During the last twenty (20) years SurgiTel has been dedicated to designing and building tools which enhance a clinician’s work and assure their safety.As many clinicians have testified, the use of SurgiTel ergonomic loupes 2 and headlights 3 has helped dental professionals and surgeons avoid, alleviate or eliminate chronic pain. In order to achieve a truly comfortable and safe posture, one that will reward you with a long and pain-free career, there are two critical tools and one supporting tool: 1. Loupes: Can make or break your posture. Ergonomic loupes will allow you to sit upright with a comfortable level of head tilt. 2. Headlights: Maintains the posture established by ergonomic loupes. 3. Seating: Supports the posture created by loupes and headlights. Most manufacturers have labeled their traditionally designed loupes as “ergonomic loupes.” Traditional designs can help users sit with a straight lower back, but cannot support a neutral neck posture for most procedures. Traditional loupes provide partial ergonomics. Statistics of Loupes Today the majority of dental professionals and surgeons use loupes. Based on various survey data we estimate that more than 85% of current loupe users may be using traditionally designed loupes with inadequate declination angles (smaller than 25 degrees). Less than 15% of current loupe users may be using ergonomically designed loupes with adequate declination angles (larger than 35 degrees). 4,5 After using traditional loupes for 5 to 15 years, many users have developed chronic pain or injuries in their necks, shoulders and upper backs. But they do not know that the main cause of chronic pain may be the continued use of traditionally designed, posture breaking loupes. Why are Most Dental Professionals and Surgeons Using Traditional Loupes? Pain due to the use of non-ergonomic loupes will take many years before it becomes overwhelming and contributes to injury. Most users do not know that their loupes are the main cause of chronic pain because traditional loupes have been sold as ergonomic loupes. Even traditionally designed loupes help users achieve a straighter lower back, but they will still force users to excessively tilt their heads. 5 Believing they have ergonomic loupes based on manufacturers’ advertisements, they often attempt to manage their pain by visiting chiropractors or physical therapists rather than searching for ergonomically correct loupes. But without eliminating the root cause, treating symptoms is not a long term solution and cannot reverse their pain. Educating customers on the ergonomic benefits of SurgiTel’s advanced loupes and headlights, SurgiTel has become one of top three loupe manufacturers in the world within a relatively short period of time. SurgiTel continues to increase market share among new, young loupe buyers. In the early 1990s SurgiTel introduced Can Work-Related Pain Be Avoidable or Reversible? In the School of ErgoPractice®, Part 1 presents: B. J. Chang, PhD
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SurgiTel presents: Can Work-Related Pain Be Avoidable or Reversible?
Transcript of Surgitel from the president 2014 06
A large majority of dental professionals and surgeons todayexperiencepainintheirnecks,shoulders,andupperbacks.Manypractitionersbelievechronicpain isanecessaryevil inseparablefrom thepracticeofdentistryor surgery.But,work-relatedpaincan be avoidable or reversible if we work with ergonomicallydesigned loupes and headlights. Loupes, often called surgicaltelescopes,establishone’sposture(goodorbad).1Headlightsmayeithersupportorbreakthepostureestablishedbyloupes.
Are Tools Available for Practicing Dentistry or Surgery Pain-Free?Theanswer isdefinitelyyes.During the last twenty(20)yearsSurgiTel has been dedicated to designing and building toolswhichenhanceaclinician’sworkandassuretheirsafety.Asmanyclinicianshavetestified, theuseofSurgiTelergonomicloupes2
and headlights3 has helped dental professionals and surgeonsavoid,alleviateoreliminatechronicpain.
Inordertoachieveatrulycomfortableandsafeposture,onethatwillrewardyouwithalongandpain-freecareer,therearetwocriticaltoolsandonesupportingtool:
1. Loupes:Canmakeorbreakyourposture.Ergonomicloupeswillallowyoutosituprightwithacomfortablelevelofheadtilt.2. Headlights: Maintains the posture established byergonomicloupes.3. Seating: Supports the posture created by loupes andheadlights.
Mostmanufacturershavelabeledtheirtraditionallydesignedloupesas“ergonomicloupes.”Traditionaldesignscanhelpuserssitwithastraightlowerback,butcannotsupportaneutralneckpostureformostprocedures.Traditionalloupesprovidepartialergonomics.
Statistics of Loupes Today the majority of dental professionals and surgeons useloupes.Basedonvarioussurveydataweestimatethatmorethan85%ofcurrentloupeusersmaybeusingtraditionallydesignedloupes with inadequate declination angles (smaller than 25degrees). Less than 15% of current loupe usersmay be usingergonomicallydesignedloupeswithadequatedeclinationangles(largerthan35degrees).4,5Afterusingtraditionalloupesfor5to15years,manyusershavedevelopedchronicpainorinjuriesintheir necks, shoulders andupper backs.But theydonot knowthatthemaincauseofchronicpainmaybethecontinueduseoftraditionallydesigned,posturebreakingloupes.
Why are Most Dental Professionals and Surgeons Using Traditional Loupes?Painduetotheuseofnon-ergonomicloupeswilltakemanyyearsbeforeitbecomesoverwhelmingandcontributestoinjury.Mostusersdonotknowthattheirloupesarethemaincauseofchronicpain because traditional loupes have been sold as ergonomicloupes.Eventraditionallydesignedloupeshelpusersachieveastraighterlowerback,buttheywillstillforceuserstoexcessivelytilttheirheads.5Believingtheyhaveergonomicloupesbasedonmanufacturers’ advertisements, they often attempt to managetheirpainbyvisitingchiropractorsorphysicaltherapistsratherthan searching for ergonomically correct loupes. But withouteliminatingtherootcause,treatingsymptomsisnotalongtermsolutionandcannotreversetheirpain.
Educating customers on the ergonomic benefits of SurgiTel’sadvancedloupesandheadlights,SurgiTelhasbecomeoneoftopthreeloupemanufacturers in theworldwithinarelativelyshortperiodoftime.SurgiTelcontinuestoincreasemarketshareamongnew,youngloupebuyers.Intheearly1990sSurgiTelintroduced
Can Work-Related Pain Be Avoidable or Reversible?
In the School of ErgoPractice®, Part 1
presents:presents:
B. J. Chang, PhD
References1. Rucker,LM,SurgicalTelescopes:PostureMakerorPosture
Breaker,Murphy,D,Ed,Economics and theDentalCare,AmPublicHealthAssoc.WashingtonDC,1998,pp191-216
2. Chang,BJ,Advances inMagnificationandMountingwithSurgiTel’sPatentedPrismLoupeTechnology,ErgoPracticeNews,FebruaryIssue,2014,www.surgitel.com/news
3. Chang, BJ, Advances in SurgiTel Headlights: DesignConsiderations of LED Headlights for Color Accuracyand Eye Safety, ErgoPractice News, March Issue, 2014,www.surgitel.com/news
4. Valachi B, Practice Dentistry Pain-Free, PosturedonticsPress,Portland,OR2008
5. Chang,BJ,KeyFactorsforOrderingCustomLoupes:Part1,DeclinationAngleastheKeyErgonomicFactor,ErgoPracticeNews,AprilIssue,2014,www.surgitel.com/news
the 1st ergonomic loupes and later the 1st portable clinicalheadlights.Buttheothertwoloupemanufacturers(OrascopticandDesignsforVision)havefocusedonpromotingtheirtraditionalthrough-the-lens (TTL) loupes as ergonomic loupes, even ifthedeclinationangleoftheirloupesdonotmeettheergonomicrequirementsforacomfortableandsafeneckposture.
Sincethemajorityruleisappliedhere,manydentalprofessionalsandsurgeonsbelievethattraditionalTTLloupesareergonomicallydesignedandcontinuetousetraditionalloupes,eventuallyresultinginchronicpain.Itshouldbenotedthateventhedeclinationangleof traditional front-lens-mounted (FLM) loupes is similar to thedeclinationangleoftraditionalTTLloupes.
Creating the Right Tools and Sharing ExperiencesForapain-freepracticewehavetohavetherighttools.Duringthelasttwenty(20)yearsSurgiTelhascreatedallthenecessarytools for the pain-free practice. SurgiTel products have helpedmany clinicians practice dentistry or surgery pain-free. As apart of ergonomic education, SurgiTel has been publishingErgoPractice® News starting June 2013: www.surgitel.com/news. We have reviewed the advances made in loupes andheadlights, principles of clinical illumination, requirements ofcustom loupes,blue lighthazardsofcoolLED lights,andkeyfactorsforselectingtherightloupes.InourErgoPracticeNews,several clinicians have shared their stories about their chronicneckpaincausedbytraditionalloupesandhowtheywereabletoeliminateoralleviatetheirpainwithSurgiTelergonomicloupes.
AsatributetoSteveJobs,BrianSolissaid,“Lifeisaboutcreatingand living experiences that are worth sharing.” First of all, IwouldliketothankallthosewhosharedstoriesoftheirSurgiTelexperiencethroughourErgoPracticeNews.Iwouldalsoliketoaskthosewhohaveachievedthepain-freepracticetoshareyourstorieswithyourpeersprivately,orevenusingourErgoPracticeNews. If youwould likeus to sendourErgoPracticeNews toyourpeers,whomaynowbesufferingfromposturerelatedpain,sharewithustheire-mails.Istronglybelieve,together,wecanmakeourworkplacesbothsaferandmoreproductive. Jin Chang PhD
B. Jin Chang, PhD, is President and Chief Scientist of General Scientific Corporation, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
From the late 1970s to late 1980s Dr. Chang lead the development of advanced head-up
display systems for fighter jets such as F15E, A10 and F4. Over the last twenty years he has been extending the ergonomic principles used for military display systems designs to clinical vision systems. This had lead to SurgiTel’s family of ergonomic loupes and illumination systems which prevent chronic neck and back pains.
Numerous patents (awarded and pending) have been applied to designs of SurgiTel’s loupes and illumination systems.
SurgiTel is a Division of General Scientific Corp.
