Treatment preferences of managing low back pain among physical therapists of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Abstract

Background: Low back pain is a prevalent musculoskeletal issue globally. Physiotherapy emerges as a pivotal conventional management approach, offering diverse interventions such as exercise therapy, mobilization, manipulation techniques, and physical agent modalities like TENS, hot packs, ultrasound, and more. This study aimed to investigate treatment preference of physical therapists for low back pain working in tertiary care hospitals of Peshawar and DHQ hospitals of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Methodology: This study aimed to investigate physical therapists’ characteristics and intervention patterns for LBP in tertiary care hospitals of Peshawar and DHQ hospitals of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A census encompassing all physical therapists working in these settings was conducted, utilizing a self-administered questionnaire adapted from published research.

Result: Predominant exercises employed included postural control (100%), lumbar/lower thoracic stretching (88.0%), local muscle endurance exercises (55.4%), and static/dynamic stabilization (64.1%). Hot and cold applications (92.4%), Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (92.4%), and shortwave diathermy (SWD) (80.4%) were the most utilized modalities for LBP. Significant associations were observed between ultrasound usage, education level, and gender.

Conclusion: This study underscores the prevalent use of both exercise and modalities amongst physical therapists working in DHQs and tertiary care hospitals of the province.