Effect of the Core Four Movement on Musculoskeletal Disorders in Dental Hygiene Students

Purpose The neck and all areas of the upper extremity (shoulder, elbow, forearm, wrist and hand) are at elevated risk of developing a musculoskeletal disorder in the dental hygiene population. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of adding a corrective exercise regimen on levels of self-rated pain, disability and self-efficacy for dental hygiene students and explore outcomes from implementing an interdisciplinary ergonomic training program over a 20-month period.Methods Students from two consecutive graduating cohorts of a dental hygiene studies education program served as the control group with the subsequent two cohorts serving as the experimental group. The control group received the standardized ergonomic instruction as taught as part of the dental hygiene curriculum. The experimental group received the standardized ergonomic instruction with the addition of the Core Four movement routine performed after each clinic session. All participants completed a novel survey at the end of their academic training utilizing the Numeric Pain Rating Scale, Neck Disability Index and QuickDASH to evaluate levels of pain, neck disability, upper extremity dysfunction and self-efficacy.Results There were significant differences in reported self-efficacy levels between the control group and experimental group. However, there were no significant between group differences based on the outcomes of the Numeric Pain Rating Scale, Neck Disability Index and QuickDASH measures.Conclusion Including the Core Four movements as part of the ergonomic curriculum may enhance perceived levels of self-efficacy among dental hygiene students. The utility of the Core Four routine for dental hygiene students should be investigated further using randomization, baseline assessment and collection of symptoms related to the lumbar region.