Abstract

MUSCULOSKELETAL PROBLEMS AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN

*Maisarh Jarallah Abdul Azeez and Maha Sadeq Saeed

Abstract

Chronic medical conditions are in focus for the development of strategies aimed at improving population health worldwide. This is also true for chronic pain conditions leading to impaired or nonexistent ability to exercise, as physical inactivity is associated with the development of chronic diseases. Musculoskeletal disorders constitute an estimated 90% of all chronic pain, of which back pain contributes to a high extent. During the time of pregnancy many hormonal and anatomical changes that affect the musculoskeletal system in the female body, which may cause various musculoskeletal complaints, predispose to injury, or alter the course of pre-existing conditions. Though Obstetric physiotherapy is an essential part of maternal health care and promotion; still it is not well known in developing countries like India. So this current study aimed to address common musculoskeletal complaints arising among the women during prenatal period in Baghdad. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was designed in rural & urban area health facilities targeting the pregnant women of Baghdad. Total of 410 pregnant women from selected facilities of two different regions of Baghdad- Eastern (Urban) and Western (Rural) were interviewed with a structured validated questionnaire. Statistical analysis compared the independent variables of participants with Musculoskeletal Pain using independent sample t-test for continuous variables and chi-square for ordinal/nominal variables has been reported considering null hypothesis to be significant if p-valueç.

Keywords: Musculoskeletal problems, Pregnant Women, MSDs Pain.