Why is it that excessive vibration is so uncomfortable for our hands?

Question

Context. I was cutting a cast iron pipe with a reciprocating saw, and the vibrations were so bad that I had to take frequent breaks. Why can’t our hands take this?

In: 4

Answer 1

The biggest cause of fatigue from vibration is due to the loss of blood circulation. The vibrations interfere with normal blood flow which starves muscles of oxygen. That’s why your hands may look white after using a vibrating tool for too long. This can have long term effects which are largely permanent.