3 Credit Hours

Are you among the growing number of dental professionals suffering from neck and back pain? Does your daily routine cause numbness and tingling sensations or chronic pain that impacts your ability to adequately treat patients? Body Praxis offers an exclusive structural redevelopment and wellness program to address the serious musculoskeletal disorders that afflict many dentists, hygienists, and other team members. We will review clinical observations, muscle recruitment, spine segmental mobility, and breathing techniques to restore function and alleviate pain. A unique trianing regimen will be introduced to address specific injuries and dysfunction caused by repetitive workplace positions and movements. This session will include a live assessment of those in participation and offer tips to maintain a healthy, pain free body.

Course Objectives:

• Develop self-postural assessment, stabilization and realignment to ensure correct biomechanics when sitting, standing, reaching, etc.
• Learn advanced techniques and Pilates principles to retrain the body through oppositional movement patterning.
• Learn the importance of muscle recruitment and balance, spine segmental mobility, and breathing techniques.

Dr. Rick Williamson, a personal trainer and nationally recognized Pilates practitioner for rehabilitation, developed the Body Praxis system after successfully rehabilitating numerous dentists from the pain associated with musculoskeletal disorders. Rick has been involved in the fitness and rehabilitation industry for over 25 years. He is a certified Pilates rehabilitation practitioner who trained at the University of Miami and Long Island University. An active member of the American College of Sports Medicine and the Pilates Method Alliance, he is certified by the American Council on Exercise and Senior Fitness Association. He earned a Bachelors of Science in Biomechanics from the Alternative Medicines Research Institute (Canada) and is a PMA Certified teacher. Rick has served on the board of Alternative Therapies at the Erie County Medical Center and was a steering committee member of the 50 Plus Fitness Campaign at Degraff Memorial Hospital. He was a guest speaker at the First Alternative and Complimentary Therapies conference held at the State University of New York at Buffalo and is a regular speaker at the Buffalo Mitochondrial Disease Foundation.

Rick is a frequent author of dental articles on Dental Ergonomics and has been published in Dental Products Report, Inside Dentistry, Atlanta Dental Journal, and has done video presentations for Dentistry IQ.

Dr. Rick Williamson has no financial relationships relevant to this presentation to disclose.

Dental Society of Western PA is an ADA CERP Recognized Provider Approved by Pennsylvania Dental Association.
ADA CERP is a service of the American Dental Association to assist dental professionals in identifying quality providers of continuing dental education. ADA CERP does not approve or endorse individual courses or instructors, nor does it imply acceptance of credit hours by boards of dentistry.
Dental Society of Western PA designates this activity for 6 continuing education credits.