Remember learning about the "chicken-wing" in school?
Do you have it while working on patients?
This is a common ergonomic issue I see and something I used to do myself! Technically, this is called arm abduction and it can be very damaging to our musculoskeletal system if done too often or for too long.
Read to the end for some quick tips!
Fast Fact: I see this mostly with the non-dominant arm.
Depending on how far the arm is out from the body, this could damage the soft tissue (muscles, tendons, ligaments, etc) in the non-dominant shoulder and neck.
Technically, our arm should be as close to our body as possible when working.
Is it possible all the time? No. But arm abduction should be the exception, not the rule.
Some tips are:
Be mindful of your body positioning
Practice the "mirror slam" (a technique I teach that eliminates arm abduction in my brand-new course, All About Patient Positioning.) Now with a FREE PREVIEW!
Keep your patient's mouth at YOUR elbow level when you're in neutral posture.
Get an ergonomic assessment to discover your unique habits and solutions
It won't be perfect all the time, but once we develop good body awareness, we can start correcting this dangerous habit.
Click HERE to access the Free Preview on my
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