Occupational health and safety in physiotherapy: Guidelines for practice

Abstract

Most physiotherapists (91%) experience work related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) at some time, and one in six makes a career change as a consequence. Many of these disorders are attributed to manual handling of patients. This paper proposes guidelines to reduce the risk of WMSDs based on Australian legislative requirements, the results of a survey of Australian physiotherapists and the literature surrounding injury prevention. These guidelines address the areas of environmental and job design, and the personal physical capabilities of physiotherapists, within the context of law. The paper concludes by calling for further research to explore and develop this area of injury prevention in the physiotherapy profession.

Validity and Reliability of a Job Factors Questionnaire Related to the Work Tasks of Physical Therapists

“…This finding suggests that physical therapists perceive work activities involving physical exertion are the most problematic factors. This finding is consistent with other studies of physical therapists [11,14,15,27,29]. This result can be explained by the specific characteristics of the physical therapists' tasks.…”

“…The adaptation process began with a literature review of published studies that identified ergonomic risk factors associated with the primary tasks performed by physical therapists [9,10,11,13,15,16,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36]. The identification of specific risk factors supported the development and adaptation of the questionnaire items.…”

“…WMDs have had a direct impact on the career of physical therapists and on the quality of service provided [11]. Some physical therapists change either their area of expertise or the techniques used during the job, while others may even change their profession.…”

“…Some physical therapists change either their area of expertise or the techniques used during the job, while others may even change their profession. However, few of those who report WMDs look for help or stay away from their activities for treatment [11,12,13,14,15,16].…”

Entry-level physiotherapists' strategies to lower occupational injury risk in physiotherapy: A qualitative study

“…In Australia, the prevalence of WRMDs has been reported as being anywhere from 55% to 91% (Cromie, Robertson, and Best, 2001;West and Gardner, 2001) with Cromie, Robertson, and Best (2001) noting that one in six physiotherapists were forced to make career changes in response to injury. Most injuries occur to the low back, with the neck, upper back, wrists, and hands being the other most commonly injured areas (Bork et al, 1996;Cromie, Robertson, and Best, 2000;West and Gardner, 2001;Wajon and Ada, 2003).…”