No abstract

Health state study of employees undergoing physical overloads and functional overstrain of upper extremity muscles is still an area of current concern. Findings on treatment of myofibrosis patients are given. Myofibrosis is one of the most prevalent diseases of upper extremities seen actually in all branches of industry, construction and agriculture. An upper extremity muscle disease can be found both, as a separate disease, and combined with other occupational diseases of musculoskeletal and peripheral nervous systems. Major unfavourable effects of working conditions resulting in myofibrosis development are static-and-dynamic load on upper extremity muscles, and awkward, upright working posture. A group of employees exposed to unfavourable working conditions connected with heavy arm load, and local vibration was studied. Low-intensity laser radiation treatment was carried out among 36 plasterers and 33 underground miners suffering from first or second stage myofibrosis. Diffused red range laser radiation was applied to brachioradial muscle. Peripheral circulation in hands, arm muscle strength and muscle state were assessed. Effectiveness of the method is shown. The suggested patented method can be used for occupational myofibrosis treatment.

Introduction. Autonomous sensory polyneuropathy of upper extremities is one of the most common occupational diseases of the peripheral nervous system. Materia and methods. Findings of the health state study in two major worker jobs in which occupational polyneuropathies of upper extremities are prevalent, namely: house-painters and plasterers, as well as mining job workers (underground miners, shaft miners, breakage face miners), are reported. The main harmful factor in both professional groups is the heaviness of the working process. Results. Physical overloads are a reason of the occupational pathology’s complex of “working hand”. At the same time, no systemic autoimmune or endocrine diseases with similar polyneuropathy were detected. Other harmful factors in the working process such as occupational dust, intensive noise can cause another occupational pathology (in respiratory or hearing organs). Discussion. In spite of obviously different working conditions, we detected the same professional diseases in both professional groups - “the working hand pathological complex”. Our findings indicated the importance of the regular periodic check-ups. Doctors should search actively the early signs of coexisting with the occupational polyneuropathy illnesses. The results of health state’s research should be taken into account in the patient’s treatment planning.

The available information on professional polyneuropathy of the upper extremities in the Russian and foreign literature is analyzed. Successful development of modern occupational pathology in Russia requires international cooperation, exchange of experience and accumulated scientific information.

Introduction. The article presents the results of a study of working conditions and the health status of patients with occupational polyneuropathy (PNP) of the upper limbs. Such a clinical and hygienic assessment of people with occupational PNP contributes to the optimal examination and treatment of patients with the preliminary diagnosis who are referred to occupational pathology centers.Material and methods. The study included 236 patients of two main occupations (painters-plasterers and miners): 113 women and 123 men. Results. The average age of patients at the time of the examination was: for painters-plasterers (women) - 55.5 ± 5.7 years, for miners (men) - 53.9 ± 6.3 years. Work experience of patients with physical overload at the time of diagnosis of occupational PNP accounted for plasterers - 25.1 ± 8.0 years, for miners - 20.4 ± 6.7 years. Working conditions of plasterers and miners were revealed to contribute to the development of occupational diseases of the peripheral nervous system and musculoskeletal system from the effects of physical overload and functional overstrain of the muscles of the upper extremities. Most often occupational PNP of the upper limbs is accompanied by the parallel development of professional chronic shoulder-scapular periarthrosis, epicondylosis, myofibrosis of the forearms, and shoulder girdle (a complex of occupational pathology of the «working hand»); radiculopathy of the cervical and lumbosacral levels.Conclusions. The main common harmful factor in the examined patients is the severity of the labor process. In less than one-fourth of the examined patients (15,7%) occupational PNP of the upper limbs was the only occupational disease. In other cases, its development was accompanied by the appearance of other occupational diseases of the peripheral nervous system and the musculoskeletal system. Patients referred to the examination in occupational pathology centers with a diagnosis of “PNP of the upper extremities” need a comprehensive examination to verify a possible complex of occupational pathology.