Why am I so stiff and not flexible? If you’ve ever asked yourself this question, you’re not alone. Muscle imbalances can impact anyone at any age. But they’re especially an issue for dental hygienists.
Imbalances are born when there’s a combination of tight muscles and elongated muscles from some areas being overutilized and other areas being underutilized. The elongated muscles tend to be weaker, so the tighter muscles “win” and the body pulls in that direction. (Think: Tight chest muscles and weak upper back muscles = forward shoulder posture.)
The best way to correct muscle imbalances is through a combination of stretching the tight muscles, strengthening the weak muscles, and myofascial release. Today we’ll focus on the first piece: stretching commonly tight muscles for hygienists.
1. Chest Stretch
Think about your work day. Almost everything we do is out in front of us (scaling, reaching for instruments, suctioning, etc.) The chest muscles get overworked and can get very tight*. Taking time to stretch the chest throughout your day can help to correct this imbalance and promote better posture.
(*It’s important to note that while the chest muscles get overworked and tighten, they can still also be weak. Adding strength training into your routine helps to balance this out.)
- Begin facing a doorframe
- Place your arm on the frame with the elbow shoulder height, bent 90° in front of you
- Keep the shoulder relaxed
- Slowly turn away from the arm until you feel a stretch in the chest
- Hold for 30-90 seconds
- Repeat on the other side
2. Hip Flexor Stretch
Our legs also spend much of the clinical day out in front of us—walking, sitting, bending, etc. This leaves the hip flexors in a shortened position, leading to tightness. Tight hip flexors are also a major contributor to lower back pain.
This kneeling hip flexor stretch is good to do after a long day of treating patients.
- Start in a kneeling position (pad the knees with a blanket as needed)
- Step one foot forward
- *Key step: Tuck the pelvis under slightly
- Lean the hips forward
- Align the front knee over the front ankle
- Place hands on the front knee or a wall or chair for balance
- To deepen the stretch, reach both hands straight up by the ears and press the top of the back foot into the floor
- Hold for 30-90 seconds
- Repeat on the other side
3. Upper Back Stretch
As the chest muscles become overworked and tighten, the muscles of the upper back tend to elongate and weaken. The tightness of the chest dominates, which causes our shoulders to roll forward and makes keeping good posture difficult—especially as we’re hunched over patients all day!
While strengthening the muscles of the back is an important component of correcting forward shoulder posture, there can still be tightness—especially between the shoulder blades—causing pain.
Eagle arms
- Cross your left arm under your right arm at the elbows
- Bring the backs of the forearms together
- If able to, wrap one more time, bring the left fingertips to the right palm
- Draw the elbows slightly away from the chest, then up toward the ceiling slowly until you feel the stretch between the shoulder blades
- Hold for 30-90 seconds
- Repeat on the other side
4. Hamstring Stretch
When we sit in a chair with our knees bent, the glutes are in an elongated position and the hamstrings are in a shortened position. The elongated glutes can become weak while the shortened hamstrings become tight.
Tight hamstrings can cause lower back pain by pulling on the pelvis and altering the alignment of the spine.
- Lie on your back
- Loop a strap around the bottom of one foot
- Straighten the leg, keeping it on the floor
- Use the strap to pull your leg toward the ceiling, until you feel a stretch in the hamstrings (keep the opposite leg on the floor)
- Hold for 30-90 seconds
- Repeat on the other side
5. Calf Stretch
Like the chest, the calves tend to get overworked and tight—walking, stepping on the rheostat, climbing stairs—they do a lot to propel us. Tight calves can lead to foot and ankle pain, shin splints, plantar fasciitis, knee pain, and even lower back pain. It’s important to stretch them out regularly.
- Sit on the ground or in a chair with one leg extended in front of you
- Loop a towel or strap around the ball of the foot and gently pull it toward you
- Feel the stretch in your calf
- Hold for 30-90 seconds
- Repeat on the other side
The Takeaway
Stretching is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to correcting your muscle imbalances. By focusing on commonly tight hygiene muscles, like the chest, hip flexors, upper back, hamstrings, and calves, you can begin to address imbalances and promote better alignment.
Remember to stretch both sides of your body evenly and hold each stretch for 30-90 seconds to allow the muscles to fully relax. Consistency is key when it comes to increasing flexibility and mobility.
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