Professor Ajediran Idowu Bella, the Coordinator of Postgraduate Programmes, Department of Physiotherapy, University of Ghana, has called for multi-sectoral screening of the population for risk factors associated with musculoskeletal disorders.
Musculoskeletal disorders are conditions that affect the muscles, bones, joints, and connective tissues of the human body making it difficult for movement. They can be present at birth or develop because of injury or disease.
Prof Bella expressed worry over the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and high risks of exposure to related disorders across healthcare settings, selected basic schools and formal mining industries.
At an inaugural lecture in Accra on the topic: “Beyond Movement: Addressing Musculoskeletal Disorders as a Public Health Imperative,” he said despite remarkable healthcare advancements, musculoskeletal disorders remained a leading cause of disability worldwide.
The lecture was organised by the University of Ghana to address critical gaps in musculoskeletal health within key people-centred service sectors in the country.
Prof. Bello said human body movement was essential for social participation, independence and inclusion in society because it enabled individuals to access education and other services.
The ability to move freely was not only for physical functioning but also for engaging in meaningful interactions, fostering personal development and enhancing quality of life, he said.
Prof Bello stated that the worst form of incarceration that could befall a person was a life without movement, giving its accompanying physical, social, emotional and cognitive adverse effects.
Physiotherapists, he said, provided services aimed at developing, maintaining and restoring maximum movement, thereby promoting overall health and quality of life.
He said the human musculoskeletal system, which was a subset of the more complex human locomotor system, was the primary facilitator of human body movement.
“This system comprises bones and various elements necessary for movement, including muscles, tendons, ligaments and supporting structures, along with their nerve and blood supplies, constituting about 75 per cent of the human body,” he said.
Globally, musculoskeletal disorders are among the leading contributors to disability, accounting for 16 per cent of all “Years Lived with Disability.”
Up to 30 per cent of the global adult population experiences chronic musculoskeletal pain.
In Ghana, the prevalence of low back pain among adults is estimated at 70.1 per cent and knee osteoarthritis accounts for 20 per cent of all musculoskeletal disorders.