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International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine Research

ISSN Print: 2575-7989 Downloads: 193082 Total View: 2346413
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Article Open Access http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/ijcemr.2022.04.001

Level of Knowledge and Practice of Manual Therapy among Physiotherapy Practitioners at the University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia

Gracious Chavula

School of Health Sciences, Ridgeway Campus, The University of Zambia, P.O. Box 50110, Lusaka, Zambia.

*Corresponding author: Gracious Chavula

Published: February 14,2022

Abstract

Manual therapy has been a component of physical rehabilitation programs as early as 400 BC, including mobilization/manipulation being a component of physiotherapy practice. However, manual therapy can be a major aspect of the treatment protocols. Despite the growing body of evidence for manual therapy, it is viewed as a complementary therapy in human medicine by many, even though its effectiveness seems well substantiated and the risks are low. The most likely reason for its slow acceptance is that the skill level required to apply these techniques properly is higher than with traditional therapies, such as exercise or electrotherapy. Physiotherapy practitioners’ knowledge and practice of manual therapy are very fundamental in ensuring effective treatment of the patient. This study was designed to determine the level of knowledge and practice of manual therapy among physiotherapy practitioners at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH). Data were collected using a structured questionnaire adapted and modified from previous studies. Data processing and analysis were done using the SPSS version 20.0 for windows. The Chi-square statistical test was used to determine the association of variables and the significance level was set at 0.05. Respondents that took part in the study were 27 which included 18 females (67%) with most participants (74%) having a Bachelor’s degree. The majority of the participants (33%) had 11-15 years of working experience. 59% of physiotherapy practitioners had average knowledge and 82% of the participants practiced manual therapy occasionally. Although the majority of the participants in this study occasionally practiced manual therapy most of them had average knowledge about it and preferred other modalities instead. There is a need for physiotherapy practitioners to improve on the knowledge base of manual therapy.

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How to cite this paper

Level of Knowledge and Practice of Manual Therapy among Physiotherapy Practitioners at the University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia

How to cite this paper: Gracious Chavula. (2022) Level of Knowledge and Practice of Manual Therapy among Physiotherapy Practitioners at the University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine Research6(2), 103-110.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/ijcemr.2022.04.001