Rehabilitation of Patients With Low Back Pain in Hospitals in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria

This Study Investigates The Current Methods Of Diagnosing And Rehabilitating Low Back Pain (LBP), Prevalence Of LBP In Ibadan, A City In The Southwestern Part Of Nigeria, And Compares Them With International Practices, Using Croatia As A Case Study. Five Hospitals In Ibadan And Hospitals In Rijeka And Opatija, Croatia, Served As Data Sources. An Online Questionnaire Was Distributed To Medical Practitioners-Physiotherapists, Medical Doctors, Medical Laboratory Scientists And Nurses Across Different Hospitals In The Locations Mentioned Above.A Total Of 101 Responses Were Collected: 51 From Ibadan, Oyo State And 50 From Croatia. In Ibadan, Oyo State, 45.1% Of The Respondents Reported That LBP Occurs More Frequently In Women, While Only 3.9% Said It Is More Common In Men. Occupations Involving Significant Physical Effort Were Identified As A Major Risk Factor, Cited By 27.5% Of Participants. In Addition, 66.7% Of The Respondents Believed That Individuals From Any Profession Could Be Affected. Regarding Diagnostic Tools, 66.7% Of Respondents Confirmed The Availability Of Diagnostic Methods For LBP In Their Hospitals. Knowledge Of Diagnostic Methods Was High For X-Ray(96%), While Fewer Were Aware Of CT Scans (37.3%), Mris (51%), EMG (6%), Blood Tests (6%) Urine Tests (2%), Physical Tests (9.8%) And ESR (2%). The Most Commonly Available Rehabilitation Methods In Ibadan Hospitals Were: Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation(TENS) (66.7%), Kinesitherapy (45.1%), Hydrotherapy( 17.6%), LASER (7.8%), Biofeedback Training (23.5%), Traction (56.9%), Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Translation(PNF) (29.4%), Thermotherapy: (3.9%), Phonophoresis (1.9%), Ergonomics (1.9%) And Others. In Croatia,58.8% Of Respondents Reported LBP As Common Among Both Genders. 24% Reported That LBP Is Mostly Common Among Females And 16% Stated That LBP Is Mostly Occurring In The Male Gender. Comparable To The Data Gathered From The Respondents In Ibadan, 24% Of The Participants Responded That Individuals Engaged In Physically Demanding Occupations Are Mostly Susceptible To Low Back Pain; 16% Reported That Cooperate Workers Are Mostly Susceptible To LBP And 60% Of Respondents Reported That People From Any Kind Of Profession Can Be Susceptible To LBP. 66% Of The Participants Responded Positively To The Availability Of Diagnostic Methods For LBP In Their Places Work; 18% Responded Negatively And An Equivalent Of 18% Also Responded ‘Not Sure’. More Diagnostic Methods Were Reported To Be Available: X-Ray(20%), CT Scan(2%), EMG(8%), Physical Examination(4%),Particularly MRI(62%). Rehabilitation Options Were Also More Extensive, With Kinesitherapy(92%), TENS( 88%), Hydrotherapy (62%), LASER(64%),Traction (34%), PNF (54%), Biofeedback Training (18%), Ultrasound (2%), Proprioceptive Deep Tendon Reflex(PDTF)(2%), Cyriax(2%), Mulligan Therapy (2%). Overall, Hospitals In Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria Lack A Comprehensive And Consistent Rehabilitation Framework For LBP, Falling Short Of International Standards. There Is A Pressing Need For Educational Programmes And Infrastructure Improvements To Align Ibadan’s Rehabilitation Services With Global Practices, Thereby Improving The Chances Of Full Recovery Of Patients Diagnosed With LBP And Ultimately, Enhancing Their Quality Of Life.