Exploring the Meridian Status and Levels of Muscle Discomfort in Nursing Assistants

• Main Authors: Huang,Yan Ching, 黃衍慶
• Other Authors: Sie, Jheng Yue
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2014
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/08597078817651386962

碩士 === 中華醫事科技大學 === 職業安全衛生系暨碩士班 === 102 === According to Ministry of the Interior （2010）, 10.89% of total population is aged 65 years old or older and by the end of 2010, dependent population is more than one million and one hundred thousand in Taiwan. Nursing assistant manpower demand is increased alone with the increasing of Taiwan’s elderly population. In the same time, nursing assistants are under a high-risk of muscles discomfort and musculoskeletal injuries because they use certain muscle groups and repeat the same actions in their daily work environment. The study purposes were three folds. The first purpose was to describe the situation of muscles discomfort in the nursing assistants. The second purpose was to explain the muscles discomfort of the nursing assistants according to their twelve Yuan acupoints meridian statuses and comparing the results with self muscles discomfort perspectives. The third purpose was to develop an objective muscles discomfort data of the nursing assistants in designing occupational safety preventive intervention program. A cross-sectional, descriptive and comparative research design was used to test the study hypotheses. A convenience sample of 35 Taiwanese nursing assistants at a public nursing institution in the South Taiwan completed questionnaires （Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire） and the twelve Yuan acupoints measurements. The results from the study revealed the nursing assistants felt lower back muscles discomfort the most, following by the shoulder and neck muscles. In addition, the nursing assistants felt more than three parts of muscles discomfort from their work and these muscles discomfort had continued more than one year to three years. Furthermore, 12 Yuan acupoints meridians measurements in the nursing assistants showed some unbalanced Yuan acupoints meridians. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine theory, unbalanced Chiu Xu Yuan acupoint meridian represented the lower back and waist muscles discomfort；unbalanced Taiyuan and Wangu Yuan acupoint meridian represented the hands muscles discomfort； unbalanced Hegu Yuan acupoint meridian represented the shoulder and neck muscles discomfort, and unbalanced Shenmen Yuan acupoint meridian represented shoulder and arm muscles discomfort. Yet, the direct-reading electronic meridian device measurements explanation of muscles discomfort in the nursing assistants matched the results of self musculoskeletal injuries questionnaires data. To sum up, direct-reading meridian device, a non-invasive method could assess muscles discomfort of the nursing assistants easily, correctly within a short time. These objective data add up the accuracy to self perspective of muscles discomfort in nursing assistants. Therefore, a completed set of both subjective and objective assessment data is essential for designing occupational safety preventive intervention program. As a consequence, improving the occupational environment of nursing assistants, providing caring for nursing assistants and continuing occupational safety education are important elements to avoid the injuries from work, reduce job turnover rate and increase the quality of care.