Exploring moving & handling in physiotherapy practice
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An exploration of movement and handling by physiotherapists in a rehabilitation setting: a motion analysis study.
IRAS ID
286201
Contact name
Kay Cooper
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 30 days
Research summary
Summary of Research
Study title: An exploration of movement and handling by physiotherapists in a rehabilitation setting: a motion analysis study
Healthcare workers manually assist patient tasks such as: transferring, personal care, repositioning, and mobilising on a daily basis. Musculoskeletal (MSK) injury and pain is one of the most common complaints in these professions with patient handling frequently documented as the largest risk factor. Repetitive, top heavy, twisting movements and working near or at your physical limit are stated to increase risk of injury of the handler. Physiotherapists, especially in a neurological area, are heavily involved with manual handling of patients during treatment sessions. Physiotherapists will manually assist patients to perform a large range of movements and tasks of the upper limb, lower limb and trunk. Many of these tasks involve the physiotherapist to adopt top heavy or twisting movements in a repetitive manner. Despite the manual nature of physiotherapy within neurological rehabilitation there has been little research to date investigating therapist movement and posture during treatment.
This study aims to explore physiotherapist movement during a treatment session in a neurological rehabilitation setting, investigate the physiotherapists posture during the session and to investigate physiotherapist MSK work related MSK injuries in relation to moving and handling of patients.
This study will recruit NHS Grampian physiotherapists working in neurological and stroke rehabilitation wards within Woodend Hospital. Data will be collected on the ward using a portable motion analysis system and a written questionnaire investigating previous work related MSK injuries.
Summary of Results
In this study we explored how physiotherapists moved when they were carrying out patient treatments in a neurological rehabilitation setting.
We recruited ten physiotherapists and measured them for a full working day. We used a portable movement analysis system called Xsens MTw Awinda, which consists of lightweight movement sensors attached to the physiotherapists arms, legs, torso and head. The physiotherapists were able to carry out their usual movements and activities with the sensors in place.
We found that physiotherapists conducted patient treatments from four main positions: kneeling, half-kneeling (taking weight on one foot and one knee), standing, and sitting.
Eight common activities or positions that physiotherapists assisted patients to perform were identified: 1) lie-to-sit; 2) sit-to-lie; 3) standing; 4) arm movements; 5) leg movements; 6) movements of the torso; 7) standing activities, and 8) walking.
Some of the positions that physiotherapists adopted resulted in movements at the neck and lower back that may increase their risk of pain and/or injury.
Sixty percent of the physiotherapists had experienced low back pain at some point in their career.
Manual handling training and guidance that is taught to physiotherapists focusses on moving and handling from a standing position. This study found that kneeling and sitting positions were commonly used when moving and handling during patient treatment sessions. Therefore, we recommend that future guidance should consider these positions.
This was a small, exploratory study and we also recommend further research on how physiotherapists move in order to understand the risk of injury better and importantly develop strategies to reduce the risk of injury.REC name
London - Riverside Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/PR/0999
Date of REC Opinion
7 Jan 2021
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion