Management of low back pain: knowledge and adherence to clinical practice guidelines amongst physiotherapists in selected hospitals in lagos state

Abstract

Objective : The therapeutic management of patients with Low Back Pain (LBP) has long been characterized by considerable variation among physiotherapists within and between countries. Over the past decade, systematic reviews have been written, and clinical practice guidelines have been made available. However, knowledge and adherence to clinical practice guidelines seem to be challenging as developing them in the first place. This study was therefore aimed at determining the knowledge and adherence to LBP clinical practice guidelines amongst Physiotherapist in selected hospitals in Lagos State. Methods : A total of 154 practicing physiotherapists based in Lagos State participated in this study. They were required to complete a 34-item questionnaire which collected information on demographic data, work experience, treatment activities and their knowledge and adherence to the LBP clinical practice guidelines. Results : Only a small percentage (28.30%) of the respondents is knowledgeable while even a smaller population (21.70%) adhered to the LBP clinical practice guideline. Knowledge and adherence to LBP clinical practice guidelines were influenced by setting of practice (p=0.05, p=0.01) and area of specialization (p=0.02, p=0.01) of the physiotherapists. However, age (p=0.70, p=0.13) and involvement in the management of LBP (p= 0.23, p=0.35) did not influence knowledge and adherence to LBP clinical practice guidelines. Conclusion : A small population of the respondents are knowledgeable and adhere to the LBP clinical practice guidelines and some of the characteristics of the physiotherapists influence the knowledge and adherence to LBP clinical practice guidelines. Keywords : Low back pain, Clinical practice Guidelines, Knowledge, Adherence