Occupational Cervicobrachial Disorder Research Articles

Recent trends in research on occupational cervicobrachial disorder.

Recent rapid development of mechanization and automatization in many industries in Japan have increased simple and repetitive tasks that have resulted in some new types of occupational health hazards, in particular among young female workers. One of them is occupational cervicobrachial disorder, the concept of which was established by the committee organized by the Japan Association of Industrial Health in 1972. The committee demonstrated that the disorder resulted from repetitive upper limb manipulation in punching and operating various kinds of business machines, and concluded that the disorder was closely related to chronic fatigue in the shoulders, neck, lower back and other parts of the body. In 1975 a study team was organized with a grant from the Ministry of Education. The team was divided into four working groups. Topics of these groups were 1) etiology of the disorder, 2) natural history of the disorder in various kinds of jobs, 3) mass examination techniques for the disorder, and 4) a health care system to be provided for the workers. The persent report summarizes the results of group discussions with a view to indicating the current problems of occupational cervicobrachial disorder and the necessary future steps for its care treatment and prevention.

History of the studies on occupational cervicobrachial disorder in Japan and remaining problems.

History of the studies on occupational cervicobrachial disorder in Japan and remaining problems.

G101 在宅勤務の新聞記者に発症した頸肩腕障害の事例(頸肩腕障害,一般演題:口演,地方の時代の産業保健,第79回日本産業衛生学会)

G101 在宅勤務の新聞記者に発症した頸肩腕障害の事例(頸肩腕障害,一般演題:口演,地方の時代の産業保健,第79回日本産業衛生学会)

The development of a motor performance method for the measurement of pain.

The pain caused by occupational cervicobrachial disorder (OCD) or related diseases is habitually felt in the wrist, elbow, arm or shoulder when gripping, lifting, wringing, pushing or pulling movements are made. Many patients claim to feel such pain even when diagnosis shows no organic damage, and their arm movement no irregularity. Verbal reports of such pain are considered simply a manifestation of 'feigned' illness. In order to measure such pain, a motor performance, non-verbal method was developed; the plate-pushing task. The results of the performance of this task by subjects using their 'painful' arms showed a greater and more frequent deterioration in performance than when the 'no pain' or 'weak pain' arms were used. The degree of deterioration was estimated quantitatively using Satow's model (Satow 1985 a). The deterioration measured showed that pain was actually perceived during performance. Subjects' verbal reports on the pain thus perceived described the sensory qualities of their pain, rather than the quantitative aspects. These results were supported by previous work (Taniguchi and Satow 1988).

Analysis of perceptual characteristics of pain describing in words caused by occupational cervicobrachial disorder and similar disease

Analysis of perceptual characteristics of pain describing in words caused by occupational cervicobrachial disorder and similar disease

Occupational cervicobrachial disorder and temporomandibular joint dysfunction.

AbstractThis article discusses a study in which 75 women who were at risk of developing occupational cervicobrachial disorder and 66 women who were not exposed to this risk were examined for the functional status of their stomatognathic systems. The prevalence of TM dysfunction in these groups corresponded to that in most Scandinavian epidemiologic studies. This prevalence did not differ between the exposed and the non-exposed groups. However, in the exposed group, a significant association was present between the symptoms of cervicobrachial disorder and TMJ dysfunction. The authors hypothesize that while occupational cervicobrachial disorder does not seem to be a cause of TMJ dysfunction, TMJ dysfunction may predispose a subject to cervicobrachial symptoms.

Occupational cervicobrachial disorder (OCD) of nursery school teachers based on subjective symptoms related to OCD

To clarify the association of occupational cervicobrachial disorder (OCD), with labor conditions, and personal situation, a questionnaire study was conducted among nursery school teachers. The questionnaire was composed of subjective symptoms related to OCD (neck, shoulder, back and arm stiffness/pain), labor conditions, and whether or not the teacher had a child of her own under the age of two. Data of 793 subjects were analyzed. The results were as follows: The mean age and working period of 793 subjects were 27.6 (+/- 4.9) and 5.5 (+/- 3.2) years, respectively. Of them, 38.5% complained of right shoulder stiffness every day during the prior month, 26.5% neck stiffness, 18.8% arm stiffness, 9.6% back pain, 7.8% shoulder pain and 3.9% arm pain. The complaint rates on the left side were similar to those on the right side. The complaint rates of these subjective symptoms increased with the duration of the working period. The complaint rates of shoulder, neck and arm stiffness increased earlier than those of back stiffness, shoulder or arm pain. The complaint rates of these symptoms were highest among teachers in charge of children less than one-year-old and those in charge of four-year olds. Teachers in charge of three-year-old children had the lowest complaint rates. Subjects complaining of neck, shoulder and arm stiffness on every day worked under less favorable conditions than those without such complaints. When subjects having no children of their own under the age of two were matched in their ages and length of work history with those who have such children, the complaint rates of the two groups did not differ statistically for any of the subjective symptoms.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

A study on influencing factors of the subjective symptoms related with occupational cervicobrachial disorder of female key-operators in latent stage

A study on influencing factors of the subjective symptoms related with occupational cervicobrachial disorder of female key-operators in latent stage

Health care relating to the occupational cervicobrachial disorder.

Health care relating to the occupational cervicobrachial disorder.

History of occupational cervicobrachial disorder in Japan.

History of occupational cervicobrachial disorder in Japan.

Recent trends in research on occupational cervicobrachial disorder : Aoyama, H.et al.Journal of Human Ergology, Sep 1979, 8. 1, 39–45

Recent trends in research on occupational cervicobrachial disorder : Aoyama, H.et al.Journal of Human Ergology, Sep 1979, 8. 1, 39–45

Factor analysis of complaints of occupational cervicobrachial disorder in assembly lines of a cigarette factory.

Approximately 270 workwomen, engaged in assembly lines for cigarette rolling and packing, were evaluated for their work motions and postures which included repetitive use of the upper limbs and constrained postures of the trunk. Many of them suffer from Occupational Cervicobrachial Disorder, complaining of stiffness or languidness and pain in the neck, shoulders and arms. Of this group, 117 received a health examination and completed a 58 item questionnaire, rating complaints such as stiffness and pain in the neck, shoulders and arms, eyestrain, headache, and hand coldness. The questionnaire data were examined using factor analysis. The results lead us to the following conclusions about the four extracted factors of the complaints:1) “Relatively heavy loads upon the left side of the upper limbs and trunk” (Factor 1).2) “Disturbances of the peripheral circulatory, sensory and motor nervous functions” (Factor 2).3) “Mental stress and loads upon sense organs” (Factor 3).4) “Loads from constrained postures of the trunk and lower limbs” (Factor 4). Taking into account observations of postures and motioms of the upper limbs of the workwomen in the assembly lines, Factors 1, 3 and 4 appear to be the primary effects of the workloads; Factor 2 is considered to be a secondary effect based on the patho-physiological processes of Occupational Cervicobrachial Disorder.

Studies on the progress of occupational cervicobrachial disorder by analysing the subjective symptoms of work-women in assembly lines of a cigarette factory.

The Committee on Cervicobrachial Syndrome in Japan Association of Industrial Health (JAIH) made a report on the questionnaires for checking for the complaints of patients suffering from Occupational Cervicobrachial Disorder (OCD). In order to reveal how the complaints develop in the progress of OCD, we analysed the complaints of 117 workwomen in assembly lines of a cigarette factory by using the questionnaires. And the followings were made clear: 1) At the mild stage of OCD, stiffness or dullness at the neck and shoulders, and eyestrain become remarkable. 2) At the moderate stage, pain at the neck, shoulders, arms and hands, dullness at extremities, general fatigue, pain or heavy feeling in the head, increased irritability etc. become remarkable in addition to the mild stage complaints. 3) At the severe stage, pain and dullness at the back, numbness at arms and hands, hand coldness, sleep disturbance etc. become remarkable in addition to the moderate stage complaints. 4) Various sufferings in daily life such as "I want to lie down at rest time," "I lack patience to go on reading long," "It is hard for me to go on writing long," and "Fixed sitting soon tires me" become more and more frequent as the stage advances. We consider it is important in the diagnosis of OCD to pay attention to the general symptoms such as general fatigue, pain or heavy feeling in the head, increased irritability and sleep disturbance, together with complaints at the neck, shoulders, arms and hands.

OCCUPATIONAL CERVICOBRACHIAL DISORDER IN ASSEMBLY PLANT

A fact-finding survey on Occupational Cervicobrachial Disorder in an assembly plant is described. In this plant, amplifiers of stereophonic sound system were assembled on the conveyor lines. About 90 workwomen were engaged in the lines and majority of them repeatedly used the arms and hands with the posture being restrained to the lines. 25 workwomen aged 18 - 30 who complained of stiffness and pain over the shoulder and neck etc. were examined. And working conditions were analysed from the viewpoint of industrial health. Occupational Cervicobrachial Disorder had been considered to be peculiar to business machine operators. But as a result of this survey, it was made clear that Occupational Cervicobrachial Disorder was not peculiar to business machine operators and might develop in assembly plant workers in bad working conditions.