Ubiquity of repetitive stress injury disorders in the OPD of Karachi, Pakistan

Abstract

Background: A musculoskeletal disorder is the pain or injury in the joints, muscle, tendon, ligament, and its associated structures that support head, neck, upper and lower limb. These disorders can be trigger from repetitive exposure to awkward posture and due to psychological, social and occupational factors. Musculoskeletal disorders are the second leading cause of disability globally. The frequency of musculoskeletal disorders in physiotherapy OPDs of Karachi, Pakistan has not been reported yet, so this study investigated the frequency of musculoskeletal disorders in physiotherapy OPD of Karachi, Pakistan. Objective: The purpose of this study was to find out the frequency of musculoskeletal disorder in patients visiting physiotherapy outpatient department of various tertiary care hospitals situated in Karachi, Pakistan. Material and Method: A cross sectional survey study was carried out by using a self-constructed questionnaire to observe the frequency of MSD in physiotherapy. Data collection was done under the supervision of senior physical therapist. Results: 403 patients were included in this study from various physiotherapy OPDs. to evaluate the frequency of MSK disorders in which 166 were males and 237 were females. The minimum and maximum ages of the candidates who participated in the study were 8 and 69 years respectively. The results showed that 72.5% of patients in OPD had MSD in relevance to 28% of the patients suffering from neurological disorders [Table 3, 4]. Conclusion: Muscular-skeletal disorders are common among patients visiting in physiotherapy OPDs of Karachi, Pakistan. The most influenced region observed were the low back and shoulder due to overuse and also the knee which was persistent in elderly patients. Female patients were seen to have higher rate of MSK disorders which affects their daily activity than man. Suitable preventive and proper management methods are suggested to lessen MSK disorders.