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Are Right Angles... Wrong?

Are Right Angles... Wrong?
by Dr. Bethany Valachi, PT, MS, CEAS

For years, sitting with your hips at a 90-degree angle was thought to be ideal. But research suggests otherwise.

What do many seated dentists have in common with a box? 90-degree angles; of the hips, knees and elbows. Why? At some point in the transition to seated dentistry, it was decided that the perfect position of the seated dentist should be with the body’s major joints at right angles. And it stuck, until recently.

If you are sitting right now, the probability is high that you are seated in a chair with a flat seat. If so, don’t move your spine. Place one hand on your low back and feel the position of your lumbar spine. Without moving your hand, scoot to the edge of your seat so that your thighs slope downward. Did you feel the position of your lumbar spine change? If you are like most people, the spine moved from flat to a curved position.

This is one reason operators may intuitively ‘perch’ on the edge of a flat seat—to place their spines in a more balanced posture.

Read full article on Dental Products Report.