Introduction: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are defined as any problem of the musculoskeletal system that occurs at work and causes discomfort, difficulty or pain during work. Although physiotherapists have a great deal of knowledge about musculoskeletal injuries and prevention strategies, the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among this group of workers is high. Purpose: The aim of this diploma was to determinate the prevalence of upper limb musculoskeletal disorders in physiotherapists based on a review of the literature, and to analyse and present risk factors for the occurrence of upper limb musculoskeletal disorders in physiotherapists. Methods: The descriptive method used in the diploma was a literature review. The literature search was conducted using PubMed, ScienceDirect and CINAHL databases. The following combination of words or phrases in English was used in the literature search: (physiotherapist OR physical therapist) AND (musculoskeletal disorder OR occupational injuries OR work deformations OR musculoskeletal defects) AND (upper limb OR upper extremity OR arm OR hand OR thumb). Results: 69 studies were found based on keywords. Eight studies met the inclusion and exclusion criteria and were included in further analysis. The authors of the studies used different types of self-administered questionnaires to obtain the data. The questionnaires were used to compare the prevalence of upper limb musculoskeletal disorders and demographic variables. The results of all analysed surveys showed that upper limb musculoskeletal disorders are more common in women, in older physiotherapists, at the beginning or at the end of their working career. The most commonly affected area is the thumb, which is most often result of frequent manual therapy. Musculoskeletal disorders of the upper limb most commonly affect physiotherapists working in the field of orthopaedics. Discussion and conclusion: The authors of the studies conclude that the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders of the upper limb is high. In the future, more focus will need to be placed on preventive measures and treatment of such injuries. In this way, their occurrence could be reduced or to some extent prevented, thus improving the quality of life of many physiotherapists.
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