[An evaluation of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in physiotherapists: a systematic review.]

Abstract

Summary: Background. Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) have been described as one of the major causes of physical pain and disability. Health professions, in general, are among those at higher risk of injury. Objective. The aim of the study was to carry out a systematic review of cross-sectional studies on physical-physiotherapeutic musculoskeletal disorders in physiotherapists. Materials and Methods. Bibliographic research was carried out through the PUBMED, PEDRO, and CINAHL databases. The selected articles had to comply with the following inclusion criteria: original peer review articles, English and Italian articles, cross-sectional studies with sample sizes of at least 25 physiotherapists, and no time limit. Results. In general, the results of studies on the WRMDs of physiotherapists have been comparable, with the exception of some differences between the various countries linked to both the level of development and the psychosocial and epidemiological status of the physiotherapy profession. Healthcare workers are among the professional categories most exposed to work-related musculoskeletal disorders because they are in direct contact with the patient, which often requires an important physical commitment to lifting and relocating patients for long-held incongruous postures, for repetitive movements, for joint effort, and for overload in manual techniques.