Affiliations: Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of
Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| Physiotherapy, Department of Community Medicine and
Rehabilitation, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
Abstract: Vibrating machines are used in a variety of occupations. Exposure to
hand-arm vibration can cause vascular, neurological, and muscular symptoms in
the hands and arms. This qualitative study provides a deeper understanding of
the consequences of vibration injuries in women. In depth interviews were
conducted with eight women with vibration injuries. The women were metal and
wood product assemblers and dental personnel. The transcribed interviews were
analyzed in accordance with the grounded theory method. The core category in the findings was "{another life}". This was
constructed by the categories "consequences for everyday activities", "work
performance", "household duties", "leisure", and "self perception" and shows
that the injury had affected most parts of the women's lives and decreased
their quality of life. The importance of well-functioning hands in all
activities was highlighted. Reduced hand function due to numbness, muscle
weakness, and pain caused restricted abilities to perform activities at work,
at home, and during leisure time. The women described impact on their
self-perception, as the injury had affected them in their roles as a worker,
mother, and woman. The findings indicate that a vibration injury is a
multidimensional problem that can affect every aspect of an individual's life.
Health care providers should be aware of these complex consequences.
