Preliminary results of a study about musculoskeletal disorders in physiotherapists

Physiotherapy is a healthcare profession associated with a high prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). In this study we consider two types of MSD. First, Work Related MSD (WRMSD) resulting, among other, from repetitive movements, high exertion or maintaining inadequate postures; second, injuries that occur suddenly or abruptly as a result of a work accident. The objective of this work was to analyze the prevalence of MSD in physiotherapists in the last 12 months. The study involved 41 physical rehabilitation clinics. The instrument used for data collection was a questionnaire. The results indicate that, in our sample, 72.5% of physiotherapists already had some kind of MSD in the last 12 months. The most affected body region was the lower back and the most commonly cited causal activity of MSD was working in the same posture for long periods of time. The data analysis seems to indicate that these characteristics and the nature of the work activities of physiotherapists are associated with the onset of MSD.