GALS

Question 1

1

HAVE TO INSPECT!!!!!!!!!! ON ANY MSK INSPECT FRONT BACK AND SIDE

Answer 1

“id like to examine your muscles and joints today, this will involve getting you to walk a bit and getting you to move your arms and legs…? bit of a dead explanation, do your own

Question 2

2

Answer 2

“for this examination you will need to take your top off but you can keep your shorts on, is that ok with you?”

Question 3

3

Answer 3

screening question:

• any pain in muscles, joints or back
• dress yourself without any difficulty
• walk up and downstairs without difficulty

Question 4

4

Answer 4

assess gait

Ask whether
walking is painful/painless

Question 5

5

Answer 5

inspect from front (shoulder allignment/bulk, quad bulk, knee, foot deformity)
inspect from side (spine)
inspect from behind (shoulder symmetry, spinal allignment)

Question 6

6

Answer 6

sunbathing pose

START FROM SHOULDER -> HANDS -> HIPS -> KNEE/PATELLA -> FOOT -> THEN SPINE!!!

“can you put your hands behind your head and push your elbows back”

Question 7

7

Answer 7

inspect hands - LOOK

Ask the patient to extend their arms out (elbows straight) and face their palms downwards.

and turn them over for me

Question 8

8

Answer 8

make a fist - MOVE

Question 9

9

Answer 9

power grip

“can you just squeeze my fingers on both sides as hard as you can” (put 2 gun fingers out downwards pointing to their feet)

Question 10

10

Answer 10

finger to thumb

“touch each finger with your thumb, like this”

Question 11

11

Answer 11

squeeze MCP - FEEL

“I’m just going to press on the side of your joints, let me know if it’s painful”

Question 12

12

Answer 12

LEGS - on bed:

• Knee flexion - move knee
• Internal rotation of the hip - move knee up and out
• Patella tap - squeeze knee and tap

Assess for knee flexion and extension - bring knee up towards chest WITH HAND ON KNEE FOR CREPITUS
“I’m just going to move your legs now, let me know if you have any pain…im just going to lift your leg now”

Question 13

13

Answer 13

internal rotation of hip - first to be lost in any hip pathology

“im going to lift your leg up again… and turn your ankle out”

Question 14

14

Answer 14

patellar tap -

“I’m going to test for fluid around your knee now. im going to push down and press lightly”

like when you squeeze someones leg, go from slightly higher up and push fluid down towards patella. When your hand reaches the
upper pole of the patella, leave it there and maintain pressure. With your other hand,
use 2 or 3 fingers to push down firmly on the patella - should hear a tap

Question 15

15

Answer 15

inspect feet - do one thing!!

3 things for leg/knee, one thing other than inspect for feet

Question 16

16

Answer 16

squeeze MTP

Question 17

17

Answer 17

cervical flexion - ear to shoulder only!

“now just touch your ear to your shoulder on both sides”
do it a couple time and ask if theres any pain

sit patient up for this one

Question 18

18

Answer 18

lumbar extension

“I’m going to test the movement of your lower back, I’m going to place my fingers on your lower back and ask you to bend over forwards, is that ok”

turn around… place two fingers on two adjacent lumbar verterbrae…“now bend forward for me”…“and come all the way back”

Question 19

19

Answer 19

complete - request to dress!!

“i completed a GALS screen on….
he reported no … (screening questions at start)
no abnormalities of gait
normal arm movement and hand function
no abnormalties on inspection of the legs and a normal range of passive movement bilaterally.
on inspection of the spine, there was normal curvature of the spine and a full range of active movement
to complete my examination i would perform a focused examination on any joints with suspected pathology