Musculoskeletal Disorders in Pakistani Women during Pregnancy: A Population Base Study

Abstract

Introduction: Changes in posture, blood physiology, weight increase, changes in musculotendinous strength, and joints and ligaments laxity are only some of the physical changes that occur during pregnancy. According to several studies, pregnancy-related back discomfort affects 25% to 75% of women. The primary goal of this research is to provide a comprehensive picture of women's musculoskeletal issues during pregnancy and identify the most prevalent triggers of pregnancy-related musculoskeletal discomfort. Methodology: From Jan 2019 to Jan 2020, the Department of Orthopedic Surgery Territory Care Hospital performed this investigation. In this research, 92 women were enrolled after the IRB (Institutional Review Board) of the Territory Care Hospital approved the study's ethical standards. This research monitored patients throughout their pregnancies to see if they had any musculoskeletal issues. Pregnant women between the ages of 18 and 45 who had a term pregnancy (37-42 weeks) were included in the research. The authors didn't include women with any history of rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, or SLE, a systemic autoimmune disease. Findings: Participants in the research were 32.18 years old on average with a standard deviation of 7.82 years. Moreover, half of the participants were college graduates, 71. (76.44%) while pregnant, participants gained an average weight of 14.70 and 7.82 kg. Only four (4 %) of these women engaged in aerobic activity. Most study participants reported musculoskeletal complaints at night with 75 reporting nighttime symptoms (85%). There were 82 (90%) people with low back pain, 10 (10%) participants with arthralgia, 35 (40%) participants with arthritis, and 32 (35%) participants with neck pain in the study. Pregnancy-related musculoskeletal issues substantially drain the health care system's budget. Arthritis and neck discomfort is among the most prevalent musculoskeletal complaints. Pregnancy-related weight gain and inactivity exacerbate these issues. The findings of this research need to be validated in more extensive trials.