This study aims to identify the most common and resource demanding MSD diagnoses among patients consulting physiotherapists in Swedish primary care.
We used a health care register based in Region Skåne, southern Sweden, where 1.4 million people live. Aggregated data on all physiotherapy visits in primary care with an MSD diagnosis in 2023. Diagnoses were registered by the physiotherapists using International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). We retrieved data for each three- or four-digit ICD-10 code. The data included number of unique patients, number of first time-visits, and the average number of visits per patient for each code. The total number of visits per code was estimated by multiplying the number of unique patients with the average number of visits. Mean age and sex distribution were also retrieved for codes with >10 patients. First-time visits were defined as visits occurring at least two months apart, and treatment series starting in 2022 were excluded.
In 2023, 221,265 first-time visits with a physiotherapist were registered in primary care within Region Skåne. Of these visits, 90% (n=199,275) were assigned an ICD-10 diagnostic code. In general, there were a higher proportion of women, and the mean age was slightly higher for women than for men. The overall number of physiotherapy visits amounted to 656,938. Visits coded under the ICD-10 chapter XIII, which covers "Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue", accounted for 72.9% of all visits with a diagnostic code. Low back pain (LBP), M54.5, was the most prevalent registered diagnosis with 13,392 unique patients and an average 2.3 visits per patient. Low back pain was followed by Myalgia, M79.1, (2.5 visits), Cervikalgia, M54.2, (2.6 visits), Pain in knee, M25.5G, (2.1 visits) and Gonarthrosis, unspecified, M17.9, (4.0 visits). Gonarthrosis had the highest number of estimated total number of visits (n=31,390) followed by Low back pain (n=30,668).
An ICD-10 code were registered for almost all physiotherapy visits and 73% of those had a code related to diseases of the musculoskeletal system. The proportion of women was higher for nearly all diagnoses. Low back pain was the most prevalent MSD, but Gonarthrosis had the highest estimated total number of visits due to the high average visits per patient.
The results from this study can aid researchers and governmental bodies in guideline development priorities among different MSDs. Having relevant, accessible and up-to-date clinical guidelines may, in turn, facilitate EBP in primary care physiotherapy.
musculoskeletal disorders
primary healthcare
