title: Prevalence and impact of musculoskeletal pain in Japanese gastrointestinal endoscopists: a controlled study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the frequency and prevention of musculoskeletal pain in Japanese gastrointestinal endoscopists and non-endoscopist physicians.
  
  
  METHODS
  Questionnaires were sent to 275 endoscopists and 173 non-endoscopists working in Hiroshima University Hospital and its affiliated hospitals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The completed questionnaires were returned by 190 (69%) endoscopists and 120 (69%) non-endoscopists. The frequency of pain in the hand and wrist, and especially the left thumb, was significantly higher in endoscopists than in non-endoscopists (17% vs 6%, P = 0.004). Using multivariate analysis, the only significant factor associated with this pain was the age of the endoscopist (odds ratio 2.77, 95% confidence interval, 1.23-6.71, P = 0.018). Interestingly, endoscopists had made significantly fewer modifications to their endoscopic practices than non-endoscopists (12% vs 33%, P < 0.0001) to prevent pain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pain in the hand and wrist may be endoscopy-related. However, endoscopists made little modifications in practice to prevent such pain. More attention to prevention appears necessary.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Hiroshima University Hospital, Hiroshima 739-8514, Japan.
authors.forename: Takayasu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuwabara
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Urabe
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hiyama
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Takako
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimomura
authors.forename: Shiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oko
authors.forename: Masaharu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoshihara
authors.forename: Kazuaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chayama
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005762:Gastroenterology; D006230:Hand Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010146:Pain / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014954:Wrist Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control