Prakash Kumar Yadav1, Ram Lochan Yadav1, Deepak Sharma1, Dev Kumar Shah1, Dilip Thakur2, Nirmala Limbu2, Md Nazrul Islam3. 1. Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, Chitwan Medical College, Bharatpur, Chitwan, Nepal. 2. Additional Professor, Department of Physiology, BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Sunsari, Nepal. 3. Professor, Department of Physiology, Chitwan Medical College, Bharatpur, Chitwan, Nepal.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: The use of new technologies and innovations are out of access for people living in a developing country like Nepal. The mechanical sewing machine is still in existence at a large scale and dominant all over the country. Tailoring is one of the major occupations adopted by skilled people with lower socioeconomic status and education level. Sural nerves of both right and left legs are exposed to strenuous and chronic stress exerted by chronic paddling of mechanical sewing machine with legs. AIM: To evaluate the influence of chronic and strenuous paddling on right and left sural nerves. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study recruited 30 healthy male tailors with median age {34(31-37.25)} years (study group), and, 30 healthy male volunteers with age {34(32-36.25)} years (control group). Anthropometric measurements (age, height, weight, BMI and length of both right and left legs) as well as cardio respiratory measurements [Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP), Dystolic Blood Pressure (DBP), Pules Rate (PR) and Respiratory Rate (RR)] were recorded for each subject. Standard nerve conduction techniques using constant measured distances were applied to evaluate sural nerve (sensory) in both legs of each individual. The differences in variables between the study and control groups were tested using Student's t-test for parametric variables and Mann-Whitney U test for nonparametric variables. A p-value of ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Age, height, weight, body mass index and leg length were not significantly different between tailors and control groups. Cardio respiratory measurements (SBP, DBP, PR and RR) were also not significantly altered between both the groups. The sensory nerve conduction velocities (m/s) of the right {44.23(42.72-47.83) vs 50(46- 54)} and left sural nerves {45.97±5.86 vs 50.67±6.59} m/s were found significantly reduced in tailors in comparison to control group. Similarly amplitudes (μv) of right sural (20.75±5.42 vs 24.10±5.45) and left sural nerves {18.2(12.43-21.8) vs 32.0(26.5-35.25)} were significantly less in tailors in comparison to control group whereas, latencies (ms) of right sural {2.6(2.2-2.7) vs 2.0(2.0-2.250} and left sural nerve {2.4(2.07-2.72) vs 2.0(2.0-2.0)} were found significantly high in tailors as compared with control group. CONCLUSION: Operating mechanical sewing machine by paddling chronically and arduously could have attributed to abnormal nerve conduction study parameters due to vibration effect of the machine on right and left sural nerves. The results of present study follow the trend towards presymptomatic or asymptomatic neuropathy similar to subclinical neuropathy.
INTRODUCTION: The use of new technologies and innovations are out of access for people living in a developing country like Nepal. The mechanical sewing machine is still in existence at a large scale and dominant all over the country. Tailoring is one of the major occupations adopted by skilled people with lower socioeconomic status and education level. Sural nerves of both right and left legs are exposed to strenuous and chronic stress exerted by chronic paddling of mechanical sewing machine with legs. AIM: To evaluate the influence of chronic and strenuous paddling on right and left sural nerves. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study recruited 30 healthy male tailors with median age {34(31-37.25)} years (study group), and, 30 healthy male volunteers with age {34(32-36.25)} years (control group). Anthropometric measurements (age, height, weight, BMI and length of both right and left legs) as well as cardio respiratory measurements [Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP), Dystolic Blood Pressure (DBP), Pules Rate (PR) and Respiratory Rate (RR)] were recorded for each subject. Standard nerve conduction techniques using constant measured distances were applied to evaluate sural nerve (sensory) in both legs of each individual. The differences in variables between the study and control groups were tested using Student's t-test for parametric variables and Mann-Whitney U test for nonparametric variables. A p-value of ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Age, height, weight, body mass index and leg length were not significantly different between tailors and control groups. Cardio respiratory measurements (SBP, DBP, PR and RR) were also not significantly altered between both the groups. The sensory nerve conduction velocities (m/s) of the right {44.23(42.72-47.83) vs 50(46- 54)} and left sural nerves {45.97±5.86 vs 50.67±6.59} m/s were found significantly reduced in tailors in comparison to control group. Similarly amplitudes (μv) of right sural (20.75±5.42 vs 24.10±5.45) and left sural nerves {18.2(12.43-21.8) vs 32.0(26.5-35.25)} were significantly less in tailors in comparison to control group whereas, latencies (ms) of right sural {2.6(2.2-2.7) vs 2.0(2.0-2.250} and left sural nerve {2.4(2.07-2.72) vs 2.0(2.0-2.0)} were found significantly high in tailors as compared with control group. CONCLUSION: Operating mechanical sewing machine by paddling chronically and arduously could have attributed to abnormal nerve conduction study parameters due to vibration effect of the machine on right and left sural nerves. The results of present study follow the trend towards presymptomatic or asymptomatic neuropathy similar to subclinical neuropathy.
Authors: Laura Ferraiuolo; Joseph P De Bono; Paul R Heath; Hazel Holden; Paul Kasher; Keith M Channon; Janine Kirby; Pamela J Shaw Journal: J Neurochem Date: 2009-04-01 Impact factor: 5.372
Authors: Raffaella Molteni; Jun-Qi Zheng; Zhe Ying; Fernando Gómez-Pinilla; Jeffery L Twiss Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Date: 2004-05-24 Impact factor: 11.205
Authors: Michael A Loffredo; Ji-Geng Yan; Dennis Kao; Lin Ling Zhang; Hani S Matloub; Danny A Riley Journal: Muscle Nerve Date: 2009-06 Impact factor: 3.217