PREVALENCE OF DE QUERVAIN’S TENOSYNOVITIS AMONG CLINICAL PHYSICAL THERAPISTS IN PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN; A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

De Quervain’s tenosynovitis is an idiopathic condition characterized by pain on the radial (thumb) side of the wrist. It is also described as an overuse disease caused by repetitive hand and wrist movements and continued strain. Activities like stapling, writing, brushing hair, shaving, using eating utensils, or even grasping the steering wheel of vehicle may exacerbate pain. Physical therapy is most physically demanding profession because of this physiotherapists are more prone to develop work-related musculoskeletal problems. Objectives To determine the Prevalence of  de quervain’s tenosynovitis  among clinical physical therapist. Methodology This was descriptive cross sectional study. A total of 189 clinical physical therapists was included in this study and the sample size was taken by Roasoft software, the data was collected through standard based questionnaire. The data was analyzed through SPSS 2.0. The Pearson chi-square test was used for testing the association between the various predictors and the diagnosis of De Quervain’s tenosynovitis. Results A total of 189clinical physical therapists participated in the study. The statistical analysis shows that 27% of the clinical physical therapists were affected by De Quervain’s tenosynovitis. Conclusion This research highlights the significant prevalence of De Quervain's tenosynovitis among clinical physiotherapists. A substantial portion of this professional  group reports experiencing symptoms or receiving a diagnosis of the condition. This underscores the importance of implementing preventive measures, making ergonomic workplace adjustments, and providing continuous education about this ailment to safeguard the well-being of clinical physiotherapists