COMPARITIVE FREQUENCY OF MUSCULOSKELETAL SYPTOMS IN CLINICAL AND ACADEMICIAN PHYSICAL THERAPISTS; A CROSS SECTIONAL SURVEY
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Abstract
Background: Work related disorders have been top reasons of being on leave, early retirement, and job switches. Now when work environment has been changed altogether due to technology, certain professions are still considered at risk of these occupational disorders such as physiotherapy profession. This profession currently is seen divided two main domains, academics and clinical. Studies have been conducted figuring out musculoskeletal disorders for physiotherapy clinicians but there is less literature regarding such studies for physiotherapy academicians, although, there is huge literature available on academicians in general.
Objective: The objective was to determine the work-related musculoskeletal disorders in clinical and academic physiotherapists.
Methods: This was a cross sectional survey conducted among 98 academic and 52 clinical physiotherapists contacted through convenience sampling technique. The data was collected using questionnaire comprised of demographics and extract of Nordic Questionnaire. Statistical Package for Social Sciences, SPSS 20.0. was used to analyze data. Frequency and percentages were calculated against different affected areas, in general and based on primary job domain i.e., academics or clinical.
Results: Distribution of responses based on work domain showed that 63.5% physiotherapists linked with clinical practice while those of 93.9% physiotherapists linked with academics were having neck pain. Ratio for other regions showed 51.9:35.7% for back pain, 80.8%, 89.8% for low back pain, 75.0%, 45.9% for shoulder, 50%. 30.6% for elbow, 88.5%, 43.9% for wrist pain. 76.9%, 61.2% for hands, 19.2%, 8.2% for hip pain, 23.1%, 76.6% for knee pain and 15.4%, 22.4% for ankle pain.
Conclusion: The study concluded that musculoskeletal disorders are highly prevalent in both clinical and academic physiotherapists while the areas reported by majority were neck, back, shoulder and knees.
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