Prevalence Of Musculoskeletal Injuries Amongst Student Athletes And The Role Of Physiotherapy In Recovery

Introduction: Among student-athletes, the occurrence of musculoskeletal injuries (MSKIs) is emerging as a critical public health dilemma, with an associated decline in athletic productivity, educational activities, and chronic disability. It is well documented internationally that physiotherapy plays a vital role in the rehabilitation of injury, however, many educational institutions, especially in developing areas, do not have organized frameworks for injury management. This study intended to identify the extent and variety of MSKIs of student athletes and assessed the level of physiotherapy recovery processes and their effectiveness in enabling Musculoskeletal Injury (MSKI) recovery among student athletes. Methodology: This work had a cross-sectional, mixed-methods design. A total of 398 student athlete aged 15-24 years from five secondary schools and three universities were recruited for the study. Quantitative data were collected using a structured questionnaire developed based on the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center (OSTRC) framework. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 8 physiotherapists and 4 sports coaches. Results were analyzed using quantitative data from part nursing/medical care and cost control applied descriptive statistics, Chi-square and independent t-tests SPSS v26. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically using Braun and Clarke’s six-step approach. Results: of the total number of students participated in the study, 66.3% reported having at least one MSK injury in the past one year. Football (89.5%) and basketball (73.3%) athletes had the highest injury rates. Ankle (29.5%) and knee (25.0%) injuries were the most common. Among physiotherapy, only 55.3% of participants had accessed the physiotherapy services. Receiving physiotherapy significantly reduced the recovery time to (mean = 3.4 weeks) compared to (mean = 5.2 weeks) in those who did not, p < 0.001. Access to physiotherapy was mainly limited by lack of knowledge, availability, and finances. Discussion: Results show as expected that students athletes have high prevalence of MSKIs and severely underutilized physiotherapy. It was confirmed physiotherapy significantly improves recovery outcomes despite the presence of institutional gaps such as insufficient staffing, limited rehabilitation resources, a lack of injury prevention programs, and fragmented services. These issues mirror trends noted in other resource-limited regions around the world. Conclusion: There is little debate regarding the need to incorporate physiotherapy into school sports at educational institutions. There is an urgent need for development of physiotherapy, injury monitoring, and prevention frameworks and injury management education for coaches and athletes. Improving access to physiotherapy is critical not only for timely recovery, but also for the enduring health and athletic performance of student athletes