Work-related thumb pain and associated risk factors among manual physiotherapists

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To find out the number of work-related thumb pain, its associated risk factors and treatment preferences among manual physiotherapists. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used a modified self-administered questionnaire among manual physiotherapists in the government and private hospitals of Lahore, Pakistan. Sixty physiotherapists were recruited using simple consecutive sampling. Data was analyzed through SPPS v.21.0. RESULTS: Out of 60 physiotherapists, 35 (58.3%) were males. Majority (n=43; 71.6%) had age <30 years. Thirty-seven (61.7%) participants had work experience of 1-5 years and 16.7% (n=10/60) worked for >45 hours per week. Out of 33 (55%) physiotherapists with work-related painful thumbs, 75.8% (n=25/33) had work experience of 1-5 years and 24.24% (n=8/33) worked for >45 hours per week. About 55% (n=33/60) of all physiotherapists and 52% (n=17/33) of those with painful thumbs had no preventive information. Handposition B was common in all physiotherapists (n=36/60; 60%) and in those with painful thumb (n=21/33: 64%). Almost 97% (n=32/33) of physiotherapists with painful thumb were right-handed. Interphalangeal joint was the most affected joint (n=10/33; 30.3%) and affected thumb was dominant in nature with 84.8% (n=28/33) cases. Trigger point therapy (n=7; 11.7%) was a major cause to provoke symptoms. Stabilization exercise was found to be most satisfying treatment (n=6/9; 66.67%). CONCLUSION: A high percentage of work-related thumb pain was recorded among the manual physiotherapists of Lahore. Most of them suffer from workrelated pain due to the execution of manual therapy techniques, while stabilization exercise is the most satisfied therapy for thumb pain among them.