Factors related to thumb pain in physiotherapists

The aim of the study was to determine whether differences exist between physiotherapists with work-related thumb pain and physiotherapists without thumb pain. 24 physiotherapists with work related thumb pain (pain group) and 20 physiotherapists without thumb or wrist pain (non-pain group), who were working at least 20 hours per week in an outpatient musculo-skeletal setting, were compared on a number of attributes: generalised joint laxity, hand and thumb strength, height, weight, working environment and position and force applied during mobilisation, mobility at individual thumb joints, extent of osteo-arthritis at the thumb and radial sided wrist joints, and demographic data such as age gender and years of experience. All physiotherapists in the pain group reported that their thumb pain was related to and initially caused by the performance of manual techniques, and 88% had altered their manual techniques because of pain in the thum b. There was extreme variability in hand position and force applied during mobilisation, and a slightly high prevalence of osteoarthritis (22.7%)considering the mean age of the total sample (38.6 years). Statistically significant differences between groups included right metacarpal joint laxity, decreased right tip pinch strength, and lower body mass index for the pain group. Other factors were not significantly different between the groups These results indicate work related thumb pain affects physiotherapists ability to administer manual treatments, and suggest that decreased stability and strength in the thumb may be associated with work related thumb pain.