Acute Effects of Hand Elevation and Wrist Position on Mean Arterial Pressure and Pulse Rate Measured in the Hand
Abstract
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) to the wrist and hand are common among workers, and are associated with working conditions that use forceful, repetitive and extreme wrist joint postures that including end range flexion. Construction workers that report performing overhead work for more than two hours per day are found to be three times more susceptible to carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) symptoms and six times more susceptible to electrophysiological CTS changes. Blood pressure to the wrist and hand generally decreases with overhead hand positions, and decreased blood pressure to the hand is associated with decreased tissue perfusion and nerve conduction velocity at the wrist. Thus, overhead hand positions and some end range wrist positions are associated with decreased tissue perfusion to the hand in addition to increased risk of carpal tunnel syndrome and MSD. The purpose of this study is to test the effect of five different vertical hand locations relative to heart level (0, -20, -40,20,40cm) and two different wrist positions (neutral and flexed) on the acute long finger digital artery blood pressure and pulse rate of the dominant right hand of healthy individuals. These data should provide an improved understanding of the acute response to elevating the human hand overhead and achieving end range wrist postures, its
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 28, 2000
- Accession Number
- ADA382903
Entities
People
- Lee D. Shibley
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology