Background The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of hand paresthesias (HP) and their relationship with pruning activities. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 537 workers pruning grapevines in the region of Champagne. All workers completed a questionnaire about nocturnal HP and musculoskeletal pain during the preceding 12-month period.Results The 12-month prevalence of nocturnal HP and hand-wrist pain were 37 and 12%, respectively. HP, predominantly affecting the dominant hand, only began during the pruning period and ended after the pruning season in 90% of cases. HP were transient in most cases, with a mean duration of symptoms of 3.3 AE 3. Conclusions The development of HP, which affected a third of employees, was different from HP observed in industrial workers since most vineyard workers recovered without medical treatment after the pruning season.

No abstract