Development of an evidence-based physiotherapy treatment protocol for acute non-specific neck pain in Ethiopia

Abstract

Although neck pain is increasingly being considered as an important public health problem in Ethiopia, there is no treatment protocol guiding physiotherapy practice for acute non-specific neck pain (NSNP) in this setting. This means that every physiotherapist treats patients based on their own knowledge of what constitutes best practice. The problem of clinical inconsistency is further compounded by the fact that the field of physiotherapy is still in its nascent stages in Ethiopia, where a recently expanded physiotherapy curriculum is yet to be fully implemented. In recognition of the fact that evidence-based treatment is now considered clinical best practice by physiotherapists worldwide, this thesis is premised on the idea that it is necessary to have an evidence-based treatment protocol that can guide physiotherapists’ decisions when treating these patients. Moreover, a new and young curriculum offers the option of including new and evidence-based physiotherapy.