Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among Iranian physical therapists.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out. An online survey was completed by Iranian physiotherapists from June 2017 to August 2017. A total of 333 online questionnaires were sent, and 319 questionnaires were fully completed and used for data analysis. The Persian version of the Nordic Questionnaire was the main outcome measurement. This questionnaire identified work-related pain or discomfort in 9 parts of the body, including: (1) neck, (2) shoulder, (3) elbow, (4) wrists, (5) upper back, (6) lumbar, (7) thighs, (8) knee, and (9) ankle.

Results: The findings of this study showed the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders was 94% in Iranian physiotherapists. Lumbar (65%), neck (57.4%), shoulder (50.2%), upper back (49%), and knee (45.5%) were the most prevalent regions of these disorders. While ankle (19.7%) and elbow (21.6%) disorders showed the lowest prevalence.

Conclusion: The prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders was high in Iranian physiotherapists, especially in the lumbar, neck, shoulder, and upper back regions.

Author keywords: Musculoskeletal Diseases, Physical Therapists, Work

Author affiliations: FR, KK, SZ: Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran; 
DL-L: Research, Health and Podiatry Unit, Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Nursing and Podiatry, University of Coruña, A Coruña, Spain; CC-L: Nursing and Physical Therapy Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of León, Ponferrada, León, Spain

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