PREVALENCE OF LUMBOSACRAL RADICULOPATHY AMONG PHYSIOTHERAPISTS OF PEDIATRIC REHABILITATION

Abstract

Mostafa S. Ali*, Kerolous Ishak Shehata Kelini, Mohamed Ali Elsayed, Dina Othman shokri galal and Radwa S. Abdul-Rahman

Introduction: Physiotherapists (PTs) are at a significant risk of having musculoskeletal problems as a result of their jobs such as Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WRMDs). WRMDs are described as injuries that involve a wide spectrum of inflammatory or degenerative diseases and disorders that result in pain or functional impairment, according to the World Health Organization. The aim of current study was to determine the prevalence of lumbosacral radiculopathy among pediatric physiotherapists in the ministry of health in Cairo, Egypt.

Material and methods: two hundred participants included in this study from both sex with age ranged from 25-40 years. participants were assigned to Single group related measurement design. Specific questionnaire based on Roland Morris questionnaire (for back pain) and Modified Roland Morris questionnaire (for leg pain) (RMQ, RMQ-L) respectively.

Results: there is a statically significant association between Age, BMI, working years, work hours per day and number of patients/day and lumbosacral radiculopathy; while sex had no significant association with lumbosacral radiculopathy. Subjects with age 30-37 years were 4.01 times more likely to have lumbosacral radiculopathy compared with subjects with age 25-29 years. Subjects working > 4h/day were 4.57 times more likely to have lumbosacral radiculopathy compared with subjects working 2-4 h/day. The results of this study showed that the point prevalence of lumbosacral radiculopathy was 30.5% (p > 0.05).

Conclusion: according to this results, lumbosacral radiculopathy is common among Egyptian pediatric physiotherapists, Making Cairo's pediatric physiotherapists at a high-risk group, which necessitate appropriate intervention to manage such problem.