A Description of Physical Therapists' Knowledge in Managing Musculoskeletal Conditions: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Musculoskeletal complaints represent almost one-quarter of complaints of patients admitted to primary care. These conditions are the main contributors to lost productivity at work. Therefore, having enough knowledge of the management of these conditions is necessary. Physical therapists can provide safe care for patients with musculoskeletal conditions. Hence, they should have adequate knowledge regarding the management of such conditions. Aim: To describe physical therapists' knowledge regarding managing musculoskeletal problems in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that included physical therapists in Saudi Arabia. Participants were investigated for their demographics and then completed the Freedman and Bernstein test to evaluate experts in musculoskeletal medicine. The test was conducted on the participant via a web-based platform. SPSS version 15 was used to analyze the data. Results: A total of 270 physical therapists were included in the study; the mean knowledge percent was 51.25±9.1%. The correlations between the level of knowledge and other variables showed that knowledge showed a significant association with degree of education (P=0.03), dealing with musculoskeletal problems (P˂0.001), whereas sex (P=0.7), and taking a course (P=0.06) showed no significant impact on knowledge. Conclusion: There was a suboptimal level of knowledge among physical therapists regarding managing musculoskeletal conditions.