Chronic musculoskeletal pain in mothers of children with cerebral palsy

Objective: Children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) need special long term care which is usually provided by their mothers. Providing such intensive cares can induce physical loads on mothers' musculoskeletal system. The study aimed to assess the chronic musculoskeletal pain in mothers of children with cerebral palsy. Materials & Methods: This descriptive study was conducted in Tehran, 2011. Two groups of mothers having children aged 4 to 12 years, with and without CP, were selected via convenience sampling method and were enrolled in the study. To assess musculoskeletal pain Nordic questionnaire was used and the relation between variables was examined via Pierson correlation and independent t test. Results: In this study, 60 mothers with CP children and 60 mothers with healthy children participated. The mean (+/- SD) age of mothers and their children was 33.79 +/- 6.02 years and 7.11 +/- 2.71, respectively. Depression, chronic musculoskeletal pain, and also pain in the lower back, shoulder, ankle and toes were significantly high in mothers of children with CP (p<0.05). Conclusions: Because of the high frequency of chronic musculoskeletal pain in mothers with CP children, they need physical & psychological support to diminish the adverse effects of care activities. It is recommended to train mothers about how to care themselves and their children properly to reduce their physical and psychological problems.