Musculoskeletal Disorders Among Caregivers Handling Non-ambulatory Spinal Cord Injury Patients

Abstract

Aim: To find out the prevalence of musculoskeletal problems in caregivers handling non ambulatory spinal cord injury patients and most common site of injury.

Introduction: Loss of physical, psychological, and social functionality can result from spinal cord injury, a stressful condition. Patients who experience such may be severely disabled. They are dependent on caregivers for their everyday needs because of their impairment. Caregiver types for spinal cord injuries include family members and caregiver professionals. It is vital to determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal difficulties since caring for SCI patients can be taxing due to inadequate training and uncomfortable posture, which causes musculoskeletal problems in caregivers.

Methods: A total of 80 caregivers, including family caregivers and caregivers employed by organizations, participated in a cross-sectional research. Based on a practical sampling, a self-structured validated questionnaire was utilized to interview the caregivers. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data.

Results: The prevalence of musculoskeletal problems is 95% in caregivers including both family and professional caregivers. Low back pain is the commonest site of symptoms (53%) followed by 15% neck, 12% upper back pain, right shoulder (10%), right wrist (5%) and no pain (5%).

Conclusion: Musculoskeletal issues are very common among caregivers of patients with non-ambulatory spinal cord injury. Back and neck discomfort are the two most commonly impacted areas. The study's conclusions showed that appropriate training and exercise are necessary as a strategy of avoiding musculoskeletal issues.