Wellness Corner: 5 ergonomic errors your body told you about in 2025 … and how to fix them in 2026

Most of us treat aches, end-of-day fatigue, and that stubborn stiffness as “just part of the job.” We think: “I had extra patients, a long day, and my posture was bad today,” and we push on. These signs become more than temporary discomfort from one day. They become the early warning signals that, if ignored, often evolve into chronic pain, burnout, or even career-limiting injuries.¹

Here are five ergonomic red flags dental clinicians often ignore … and how a few strategic changes in 2026 could make it your most sustainable—and most comfortable—clinical year yet.

No. 1: Skip stretching and your body will tell you

When you end your day hunched over a patient, leaning forward, rotating, twisting—but skip stretching at lunch or after work—your body stores tension. That tightness can accumulate into restricted hips, locked thoracic and cervical spines, tight shoulders, or nerve impingements. Studies show that static posture dramatically increases musculoskeletal strain compared to dynamic movement combined with stretching.¹ Stretching lengthens your muscle tissues, increases blood flow, and reduces accumulated cellular damage that results in dysfunction over time.

2026 fix

• Stretch as a team before the day starts. Even one 30–45 second stretch is better than none at all.
• Stretch between patients. Use door jams, walls, a countertop, or gravity while “in waiting.”
• Add a two-minute stretch sesh at lunch. Even better—do it outside!

No. 2: Endurance without strength becomes a crack in your foundation

Clinical work depends on stamina. What we often ignore is strength. Endurance alone doesn’t stabilize posture or support the repetitive microloads we place on our shoulders, neck, and back all day. Research on repetitive-work professions shows that resistance training reduces risk of chronic musculoskeletal disorders by improving joint stability, posture, and tissue resilience.² Even 15–20 minutes of posterior-chain and core strengthening two to three days per week can pay off big: stronger posture, reduced fatigue, more stable hands, and greater longevity.

2026 fix

• Prioritize movements that utilize a hip hinge, rows, glute/hamstring work to support posture and core.
• Include at least one shoulder-stability exercise (e.g., external rotations).
• Don’t overthink exercise. Consistency matters more than volume or location.

No. 3: Ergo equipment isn’t a luxury—it’s career protection

The equipment we use during treatment can make or break our posture habits, and in some cases (ergo loupes) hinder neutral posture. The resulting forward head posture and accompanying neck tightness, achy wrists, and low-back fatigue are often traced back to suboptimal ergonomic equipment. Using properly sized saddle stools, deflection loupes, wide handled instruments, and cord management aren’t “extra”—they’re preventive, and studies show that they significantly reduce musculoskeletal strain and injury risk.³

2026 fix

• Use saddle seating that matches your hip width, thigh length, and lumbar curvature needs.
• Use declination loupes that keep the neck in neutral.
• Use ergonomically designed tools/instruments that minimize pinch force.
• Consider cord-management or wireless alternatives to reduce drag and wrist deviation.

No. 4: Overworking = predicted burnout

When the schedule is heavy, lunches get skipped or breaks evaporate, and the nervous system stays on high alert. What feels like mental toughness ends up costing energy and depletion. Chronic work overload and lack of recovery time correlate strongly with higher rates of musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, and burnout across clinical professions.⁴ Emotional exhaustion, reduced patience, poor sleep, and mounting stress all trace back to overwork without recovery.

2026 fix

• Protect your lunch break—leave the office, if possible, even if only to the car. Mental exhale doesn’t occur in the breakroom.
• Set boundaries around scheduling and respect them like your career depends on it (because it does)!

No. 5: Ergonomics training improves employee retention and production

We assume ergonomics training is a given in school, but passing competencies lands higher on the priority list there. Without training, many of us fall into bad habits that we don’t know how to get out of, resulting in callouts, lost production, and replacing valuable employees at a time when there aren’t enough to go around. Ergo training retains workers with significantly fewer reports of work-related pain, fewer workers’ comp claims, fewer musculoskeletal complaints, and better career longevity.⁵

2026 fix

• Seek out ergonomic training to learn how to practice in neutral now that you’ve learned your craft.
• Upgrade equipment where needed.
• Make ergonomics part of onboarding for every employee—prevention begins at day one.

Your aches and fatigue aren’t random. They are communicating, and 2026 doesn’t need to be the same conversation. It can, and should, be different. With small, strategic changes in stretching, strength, equipment, work rhythm, and ergonomics knowledge, you can rebuild stability, preserve energy, sharpen performance, and feel better going into every day.

Your body sent the memo. Now it’s time to act.

Editor’s note: This article first appeared in Clinical Insights newsletter, a publication of the Endeavor Business Media Dental Group. Read more articles and subscribe.

References

1. Robertson MM, O’Neill Reducing musculoskeletal discomfort: effects of an office ergonomics workplace and training intervention. Int J Occup Saf Ergon. 2003;9(4):491-502. doi:10.1080/10803548.2003.11076585
2. Andersen LL, Christensen KB, Holtermann A, et al. Effect of physical exercise interventions on musculoskeletal pain in all body regions among office workers: a one-year randomized controlled trial. Man Ther. 2010;15(1):100-104. doi:10.1016/j.math.2009.08.004
3. Valachi B, Valachi K. Preventing musculoskeletal disorders in clinical dental practice: strategies to address the mechanisms leading to musculoskeletal disorders. J Am Dent Assoc. 2003;134(12):1604-1612. doi:10.14219/jada.archive.2003.0106
4. Weaver MD, Sullivan JP, Landrigan CP, Barger LK. Systematic review of the impact of physician work schedules on patient safety with meta-analyses of mortality risk. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf. 2023;49(11):634-647. doi:10.1016/j.jcjq.2023.06.014
5. Mulimani P, Hoe VC, Hayes MJ, Idiculla JJ, Abas AB, Karanth L. Ergonomic interventions for preventing musculoskeletal disorders in dental care practitioners. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018;10(10):CD011261. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD011261.pub2