Abstract

Background: Therapeutic advances led to Dry Needling (DN) in the '70s, proving its worth in the treatment of Trigger Points (TP). The aim of this work was to explore the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of DN by physiotherapists in Cameroon for the treatment of TP.

Methods: A quantitative, analytical, cross-sectional survey was carried out in the 10 regions of Cameroon over a six-month period. All practicing physiotherapists with at least one year's work experience and who had given their consent were included. They were asked KAP questions relating to DN and TP. Pearson correlations were performed between KAP domains together and with sociodemographic data.

Results: 123 physiotherapists participated. The majority were male (56.1%), with an average age of 29 ± 5 years and a mean year of experience of 5 ± 2 years. The majority of physiotherapists obtained scores < 50% of the total score allocated to the domain for knowledge of TP and DN and practice of DN, thus indicating insufficient knowledge and weak practices. However, they had positive attitudes, i.e., a score > 50%.

Conclusion: Overall, these data show that physiotherapists in Cameroon have needs in terms of Dry Needling knowledge, attitudes, and practices in the treatment of trigger points. These findings provide a useful basis for developing corrective strategies.

Keywords: Knowledge, attitudes, practices, Dry Needling, Cameroon, physiotherapists, trigger point.