Frequency and Risk Factors of Low Back Pain among Undergraduate Students of Physical Therapy in Lahore Medical and Dental College; A Cross-sectional Study

Background: Low back pain has been known as slight to moderate pain in the region of the lumbar back, lumbosacral, and sacroiliac joints. There has been an increase in the prevalence of pain in the lower back and neck which has been reported to affect medical students. Objective: To determine the frequency and the associated risk factors of lower back pain among undergraduate students of the physical therapy department of Lahore Medical and Dental College. Methodology: This current study is a descriptive cross-sectional study. This study was completed 6 months after the approval of its synopsis. Data for our study was collected from the physical therapy department, Lahore Medical and Dental College, Lahore, Pakistan. The sampling technique employed was non-probability convenience sampling. The sample size was calculated by using the census approach and it was found to be 290. Undergraduate students of the physical therapy department aged between 18 and 25 years were recruited in this study. Both male and female students were considered to be recruited in our current study. Students other than this institute were not recruited in our current study. Those students who suffered any form of pain due to spinal pathologies were also not recruited in our current study. The collected data was entered by employing Statistical Package of Social Sciences version 23 and it was also employed for the analysis of the data. Variables of this current study were represented in the form of descriptive statistics, standard deviation and mean and the frequency tables were represented in the form of frequency tables and percentages. Results: The results of this study show that pain in the lower among undergraduate students is very common and in the future might become the cause of serious ailments. Risk factors contributing to low back pain this study focused on were prolonged standing, prolonged sitting, incorrect posture of the body, incorrect sleeping position, family history of pain in the lower back, and stress during classes. Conclusion: The results of our current study conclude that pain in the lower back is a frequently occurring condition among undergraduate physical therapy students.