TREATMENTS OF VIBRATION DISEASE

For the last 10 years satisfactory treatments of vibration disease have not been devised. The authors have treated 60 patients with vibration diseases and their symptons have been improved. The purpose of this paper is to present our methods of treatment and the results.The subjects were 50 chain saw operators working in the forest and 10 jack hammer operators on the rock. The average age was 47.4 years (range 33-67) in the former and 51.6 (range 37-60) in the later. Their average periods of work were 9.8 years in chain saw operators and 5.8 years in jack hammer operators.The treatments consisted of physical, pharmaceutical and psychological therapies. The physical therapy aimed at the enhancement of blood circulation and nervous reflex. Its feature was gymnastic exercise employing a wooden pole or a ball. It also included swimming in a hot water pool, body massage and paraffin bath. In the drug therapy, we used a vasodilator drug (kallikrein or ergot alkaloid) and an agent accelerating nerve metabolism (adenosine triphosphate). 200 mg of ATP were given intravenously by drip for a week. This therapy with ATP was employed every other week. There were no side effects in these therapies.One course of these therapies lasted for 6 weeks. Before and after the course laboratory examinations including EEG were performed.A specific therapy differing from the above was also given, that is, administration of soporifics, blocking of the stellate ganglion by procaine or cervical tractions.The regimen during hospitalization was to keep body warm and not to smoke.By the above-mentioned therapies, 30 of 60 patients hospitalized was discharged within the second course, having improved their subjective symptoms and the abnormality of EEG.In conclusion, collective therapies including physical, drug and psychological ones, would lead to produce effective and satisfactory results for the reason that this disease is a systemic one.Patients in the first course should be treated as a group for encouragement to receive the treatment.