Efficacy of prophylactic taping in managing tendinitis of the thumb in tree planters

在不列颠哥伦比亚省，森林采伐业是该省经济的主要贡献者，受到高度重视。加拿大本身被认为是世界木材出口的领导者，每年砍伐和重新种植的森林面积超过40万公顷，树苗超过6亿棵。在不列颠哥伦比亚省，每个种植季节都有3000多名造林工人，也被称为植树工人，被雇佣来维持森林的未来生产（个人交流）。这项工作对体力要求很高，由于高重复性和计件补偿方法，林业工人容易出现与工作相关的肌肉骨骼损伤的显著率。近90%的树木种植者在他们的职业生涯中遭受工伤，手腕区域特别容易受伤（Smith, 1987）。在不列颠哥伦比亚省，2010年至2014年间，由于重复性运动伤害，林业行业损失了2,282个工作日，索赔费用为1,181,000美元（不列颠哥伦比亚省工作安全统计）。本项目旨在确定：1。如果使用一种新的贴带技术的有效性将使种植者手腕区常见肌腱炎的发病率和流行率降到最低。最有效的策略是管理这种新颖的胶带技术。这项研究的结果可能会对这一高危人群的健康产生非常实际和直接的影响。

The Forest Harvesting industry is highly valued in British Columbia as a major contributor to the provincialeconomy. Canada, itself, is recognized as a world leader in timber export, and over 400,000 hectares of forestare harvested and replanted annually with over 600 million seedlings. Every planting season, more than threethousand silviculture workers, also known as tree planters, are employed in British Columbia to sustain theforests for future production (personal communication). This work is very physical demanding and silvicultureworkers are prone to significant rates of work-related musculoskeletal injuries due to high repetition and thepiece-rate method of compensation. Nearly 90 percent of tree planters sustain a work-related injury in theircareer, and the wrist area is particularly vulnerable to injury (Smith, 1987). In British Columbia, between theyears of 2010-2014, there were 2,282 work days lost in the silviculture industry due to repetitive motioninjuries, at a claims cost of $1,181,000 (WorkSafe BC Stats).The purpose of this project seeks to determine:1. If the efficacy of a novel taping technique used will minimize the incidence and prevalence of a commontendinitis of the wrist area in planters.2. What the most effective strategy is for administrating the novel taping technique.The results of this study could have very practical and immediate impact on the health of this at-risk populationof silviculture workers.