title: Balneoclimatic prevention and treatment of vascular disorders due to vibration at the forestry workers.
abstract: A total of 824 chain-saw operators who were employed in felling trees in the forestry industry were exposed to local vibration, which produced peripheral blood-flow disorders and lesions in the joints and hand bones. In the last 10 years, they have undergone 24-day balneoclimatic treatment at the Kołobrzeg Health Resort. It was found that a stay in the spa and certain balneological treatments exert a favorable effect on the peripheral blood-flow disorders produced by the local vibration of chain saws. The symptoms (chills and numbing of the fingers, etc.) disappeared in nearly 40% of these workers. An improvement in the objective indices of the peripheral circulation (thermographic and plethysmographic tests) was observed in about 90% of patients treated with brine baths combined with underwater vibratory massage (rotatory) or brine baths alone. The brine bath and vibratory massage have a direct beneficial influence on the peripheral blood flow of pectoral limbs.
authors.affiliation: Hygiene and Labor Protection Department, Agricultural University of Poznań, Poland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bielski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001132:Arm / Q000098:blood supply; D001494:Baths; D006225:Hand / Q000098:blood supply; D006294:Health Resorts; D006801:Humans; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D014197:Trees; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D014732:Vibration / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D012965:Sodium Chloride