Clinical Skills - Spinal Disorders Flashcards
Spinal hx
Pain hx incl stiffness Red flags for bone pain Long tract sytptoms Nerve root irritation Cauda equina symptoms
Long tract symptoms atoms
Is pathology from within spine itself
Nerve root irritation
Compression of peripheral nerve outside spinal cord
Characteristics of nerve root irritation
Referred pain
Worse on sneezing and coughing (increases pressure around nerve root)
Positional
How do we divide spine examinations
Cervical
Thoracic
Lumbar
Cervical spine examination outline
Look - standing
Feel
Move
Neurological exam
Cervical spine - look
Deformity - kyphosis/ scoliosis Scars Swelling Muscle wasting - trapezius, sternocleidomastoid Gait
Kyphosis
Question mark sign
Scoliosis
S-shape
Cervical spine - feel
Spinous process of 7th cervical vertebra
Spinous process of other vertebrae - alignment,m irrregulatitesd, tenderness
Paraspinal muscles - tenderness, spasm
Trapezius - Tenderness, spasm
Cervical spine - move
Flexion
Extension
Lateral flexion
Rotation
Testing flexion of cervical spine
‘Look down at toes’
Testing extension of cervical spine
‘Look up at ceiling’
Testing lateral flexion of cervical spine
“Take your left ear to your left shoulder …”
Testing rotation of rotation
‘Look over left shoulder, look over right shoulder”
Neurological exam for cervical spine
Upper Limb neurology
- Tone
- Power
- Reflexes (triceps, biceps, supinator)
- Sensation
What does power test for
Motor supply
What does sensation test for
Sensory supply
Outline of thoracic spine exam
Look
Feel
Move
Thoracic spine - look
Deformity
Scars
Wasting of paraspinal muscles
Thoracic spine - feel
Palpate spine processes (T1-12) - alignment, irregularities, tenderness
Paraspinal muscles - tenderness, spasm
Thoracic spine - move
Rotation examined from behind, with patient seated
Examining rotation - thoracic spine
“Cross your arms over your chest, now turn your body as far to the right as you can”
Outline of lumbar spine - lumbar spine
Look
Feel
Move
Neurological exam
Lumbar spine - look
Look from anteriorly, laterally and posteriorly at skin – colours, scars
- Anteriorly: ASIS, muscle bulk, pelvis-leg angle
- Laterally: lumbar lordosis, kyphosis, muscle bulk, pelvic tilt
- Posteriorly – spinal stenosis, posterior iliac spine, dimples of Venus
Ask pt to walk - gait
Lumbar spine - feel
Vertebral spine - alignment, tenderness, tenderness
Paravertebral muscles - tenderness, spasm
SI joint
ASIS
PSIS
Height of iliac crest
Lumbar spine - move
Flexion
Extension
Lateral flexion
Testing flexion at thoracic spine
“Please bend over to touch your toes”
Testing extension at thoracic spine
“Lean backwards as far as you are able”
Testing lateral flexion at thoracic spine
“With your right hand reach down your right leg as far as possible”
Neurological exam - lumbar spine
Schober’s test
Sciatic stretch test
Femoral stretch test
Neurology in lower limb - tone, power, reflex, sensation
Spine - feel
Spinour processes - alignment, tenderness, irregularities Paraspinal muscles Trapezius SI joint ASIS and PSIS Height of iliac crest
Spine - move
Cervical flexion, extension, lateral flexion, rotation
Thoracic rotation
Lumbar flexion, extension, lateral flexion
What is the Schober’s test for
Tests that flexion is not coming from hips with rigid spine
Performing Schober’s test
Identify dimples of Venud
Mark skin 5cm above and 10cm below this
Place tape measure with 0cm on the bottom mark
Note change between 2 higher marks (Should be >5cm)
Performing sciatic stretch test
Lie pt. supine and examine hip movement Straight leg raise (good side first) Note angle at which referred pain occurs Lower leg by 5-10 degrees Extend/ dorsiflex ankle Confirm the distribution of the pain
Performing femoral stretch test
Exclude fixed flexion of the hip
Lie the pt. prone
Slowly flex knee (can extend the hip with the knee in flexion)
Confirm the distribution of the pain, usually pain down front of thigh
Testing dermatomes
Using cotton wool for light touch – drag cotton ball all along limb to make sure you don’t miss a patch of numbness at least 15-20x
Use neurotip injection pen
Upper limb reflexes
Biceps (C5-6)
Brachioradialis (C5-6)
Triceps (C7)
Lower limb reflexes
Knee (L3-4)
Ankle (S1)
Non-infl back pain
Mechanical/ low back pain +/- sciatica OA Spinal stenosis Spondylolisthesis Scoliosis Vertebral fracture
Infl back pain
Infection e.g. disciitis, osteomyelitis, abscess
AxSpA
Malignancy
Other terms for back pain
Discogenic pain Degenerative disc disease
Lumbar disc herniation
Secondary to lumbar degenerative disease
Facet joint pain
Other terms for sciatica
Sciatica/ lumbago Radicular pain/ radiculopathy Pain radiating to the leg Nerve root compression/ irritation Neurogenic claudication Spinal stenosis
Epidemiology of MBP
Prevalence and burden increases with age until around 6th decade
Prevalence of back pain is more common in women and increases w/ age, peaking around 7th decade
Principles of back pain assessment
Symptoms Assess if nerve root irritation is present Nerve root irritation tests Document neurological signs Excl cauda equina syndrome
Clinical features of MBP
Exact cause rarely identifiable: ligaments, muscles, fascia, bursae, facet joints, vertebral discs, SI joints Onset 20-55 yrs. Lumbosacral, buttocks and thighs Pain worse towards end of day Pt is well
What % of back pain is caused by MBP
90
Prognosis for MBP
Good
50% of pts better within a week
90% better within 6 weeks
Recurrence of mechanical pain
60% will have a recurrence within 1 year
Recurrent attacks tend to settle within 3-5 yrs.
Peaks in middle decades and becomes less frequent in later life
Features of nerve root pain
Unilateral leg pain > back pain
Radiation below knee
Numbness and paraesthesia
Nerve irritation signs
Nerve root pain in only one nerve root
Motor, sensory or reflex change
Nerve roots usually affected
83% of prolapsed intervertebral discs will involve L5 (51%) or S1 (22%) roots
L5 and S1; 10%
L3 or L4: 17% (usually elderly)
+ve sciatic stretch test
Pain behind knee down to heel between 30-70+ degrees
Motor signs for L5 pathology
Weak dorsiflexion big toe
Weak dorsiflexion lateral 4 toes
Weak eversion
Motor signs for S1 pathology
Absent ankle jerk
Weak gluteal contraction *
Weak knee flexion Weakness toe plantar flexion *
* do not occur without absent ankle jerk
Movement affected by L2 pathology
Hip flexion/ abduction
Movement affected by L3 pathology
Hip adduction
Knee extension
Tendon reflex affected by L3 pathology
Knee jerk
Movement affected by L4 pathology
Knee extension
Foot inversion/ dorsiflexion
Tendon reflex affected by L4 pathology
Knee jerk
Movement affected by L5 pathology
Hip extension/ abduction
Knee flexion
Foot/ toe dorsiflexion