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Related Experiment Videos

Arm pain in the workplace. A small area analysis.

N M Hadler1

  • 1School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599-7280.

Journal of Occupational Medicine. : Official Publication of the Industrial Medical Association
|February 1, 1992
PubMed
Summary

Worker arm pain policies in the 1980s led to varied outcomes. A study of US West Communications found no ergonomic cause for increased arm pain in directory assistance operators, questioning the cumulative trauma disorder hypothesis.

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Area of Science:

  • Occupational health
  • Workplace safety
  • Ergonomics

Background:

  • Use-related arm pain emerged as a significant worker health issue in the mid-1980s.
  • The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) initiated a special emphasis program targeting cumulative trauma disorders.
  • The program aimed to identify ergonomic hazards and mandate corrective measures.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the impact of the OSHA program on US West Communications workers.
  • To investigate the high incidence of upper extremity pain among directory assistance operators.
  • To evaluate the validity of the cumulative trauma disorder hypothesis.

Main Methods:

  • Small area analysis of worker health data at US West Communications.
  • Examination of diagnosed cases of upper extremity pain.
  • Comparison of incidence rates across different job categories.

Main Results:

  • Directory assistance operators showed a tenfold higher incidence of arm pain compared to other tasks.
  • No specific ergonomic descriptor explained the arm pain outbreaks in this group.
  • Medical community responses and treatment outcomes varied significantly by location, with Denver showing high costs and disability.

Conclusions:

  • The study raises significant doubts about the validity of the "cumulative trauma disorder" hypothesis.
  • Prematurely implementing clinical hypotheses into health policy can lead to adverse outcomes.
  • Varied medical responses highlight inconsistencies in diagnosing and treating work-related arm pain.

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