L12/13: Hypothesis Generation Clinical Reasoning in the Subjective Examination of the Lumbar Spine and Pelvis Flashcards
Why do we use hypothesis generation instead of diagnosis?
- May change over time
- Can never be very sure
A ‘diagnosis’ is dynamic and evolving — an iterative process that accounts for multiple, changing perspectives.
With significant uncertainty and inability to accurately ‘diagnose’, the term ‘hypothesis generation’ is used to reflect our expectations of both ourselves and patients and facilitate a shift in culture
Should we be worried about Red Flags?
NO But we should be vigilant….. Very easy to pick up- just need to be cautious
Physiotherapists are autonomous, first contact practitioners Therefore we need to be able to identify those patients who need urgent medical review and act accordingly.
MSK vs non-MSK pain
- Need to know how to identify
- What are you going to do after identified
What is the most common and main red flag?
Lumbar fracture
What are 5 factors that are most helpful for identifying spinal fractures?
- age greater than 50 years (positive likelihood ratio negative likelihood ratio
- female gender
- history of major trauma
- pain and tenderness
- a co-occurring, distracting/painful injury
What are the 5 diagnostic prediction rules/risk factors for identifying spinal fractures?
- being female
- older than 70 years
- significant trauma
- Does not mean MVA or from height, can be elderly falling==> sudden onset, high load
- prolonged use of corticosteroids
Mid to lower_____ is more commonly fractured in the younger adults
thoracic
What are 5 red flags in back pain?
- Lumbar fracture
- Tumour
- Spinal cord compression
- Infection
- Abdominal Aneurysm
What do you do if you spot a lumbar fracture which is a red flag?
Refer for imaging X ray or MRI
What are 6 features of a tumour (red flag)?
- Constant Pain
- Age over 50
- History of Cancer
- Failure of improvement within 30 days
- Not in mechanical in nature –> sudden get BP
- Unexplained weight loss
- No relief with rest
Where is a tumour (red flag) most common in the back?
Thoracolumbar spine
What are 6 features of a spinal cord compression(red flag)?
- Leg weakness
- Limb numbness
- Ataxia
- Urinary retention
- Hyper-reflexia
- Clonus
What do you do if you spot a tumour which is a red flag?
Immediate medical referral and or refer for MRI
What do you do if you spot a spinal cord compression which is a red flag?
Immediate medical referral and or refer for MRI (CT and blood test)
What do you say to the patient if you spot a possible red flag?
You symptoms are a bit usual and don’t seem to be MSK related. I am just going to take the side of caution and would like to refer you to your GP to get some tests done.
What are 4 features of an infection (red flag)?
- Recent infection
- Concurrent immunosuppressive disorder
- Deep constant pain worsens with weight bearing
- Fever and swelling
What do you do if you spot an infection which is a red flag?
Immediate medical referral
What are 8 features of an abdominal aneurysm (red flag)?
- Presence of peripheral vascular disease or coronary artery disease
- Male, Age over 50, smoker, hypertension
- Family history
- Non-caucasian
- Abdominal girth > 100cm
- Palpable pulsatile abdominal mass (35-40% of cases)
- Unchanging ache, possible night pain
- Dissection – ripping/tearing sensation, pain ++ medical emergency
What do you do if you spot an abdominal aneursym which is a red flag?
Immediate medical referral to A&E
Which 2 red flags need Immediate medical referral to A&E?
- Abdominal aneurysm
- Cauda equina
What are yellow flags?
- Prognostic risk factors
- Hypothesis generation with a biopsychosocial approach INCLUDES identifying the presence of risk factors
What is the relationship between red flags, specific and non-specific LBP?
What are 6 attitudes and beliefs about back pain that are yellow flags?
- Belief that pain is harmful or disabling
- Belief that all pain must be abolished
- Expectation of increased or ‘permanent’ pain
- Catastrophising, thinking the worst
- Belief that pain is uncontrollable
- Passive attitude to rehabilitation “ I want you to fix my back”
What can you do about yellow flags in terms of the lower back?
Recognise this and do what we can to change beliefs
What are 6 yellow flags for LBP?
- Attitudes and beliefs about back pain
- Compensation issues
- Iatrogenic issues
- Emotion
- Family
- Work
What are 4 compensation issues about back pain that are yellow flags?
Less likely to have good outcomes
- Delay in accessing support
- History of claim(s)
- History of extended time off work
- Health professional sanctioning disability
What are 6 iatrogenic issues about back pain that are yellow flags?
- Risks where physios give negative and unhelpful words
- Experience of conflicting explanations for back pain “Yeah you work really made it worst, you shouldn’t have done that”
- Diagnostic language
- Indepth patho-anatomical or biomechanical explanations for LBP
- Dramatisation of back pain by health professional Make sure you reassure patient = don’t exaggerates
- Expectation of a ‘techno-fix’
What are 5 emotions about back pain that are yellow flags?
- Fear of increased pain
- Depression (especially long-term low mood)
- Anxiety
- Heightened awareness of body sensations
- Feeling unable to maintain sense of control
What are 4 family issues about back pain that are yellow flags?
- Over-protective
- Solicitous behaviour
- Extent to which family members support any attempt to return to work
- Lack of support person to talk to about problems
What are 8 work issues about back pain that are yellow flags?
- History of manual work
- Work history
- Belief that work is harmful
- Unsupportive or unhappy environment
- Shift work or working ‘unsociable hours’
- Minimal availability of selected duties
- Negative experience of workplace management
- Absence of interest from employer
If work is unsupportive, what is the reason? What can you do about this?
- Why is he unhelpful or overly protective?
- Usually mis-informed
- Physio and patient can inform boss of specifics
if the patient says: “I don’t want to tell my boss –> they will be worried..etc”. What can you as a physio do?
- Advocate for supportive work
- Encourage to tell employer esp. need to monitor duties
- Physio can offer to send an email to work Lets see how you are going and we can reassess
What are 7 suggested questions that go in addition to the risk identification tools to assess yellow flags?
- Have you had time off work in the past with back pain?
- Do you think that you will return to work? When?
- Do you have any particular concerns about returning to work?
- What do you understand is the cause of your back pain?
- Do you have any concerns about your recovery or injury?
- How is your employer responding to your back pain? Your co-workers? Your family?
- How are you coping with your back pain?
What are the 3 risk identification tools for assessing yellow flags?
- Orebro
- Start back screening tool
- FABQ
What are 5 things that persistent disability from LBP is associated with when understanding risk factors?
- Depression
- Psychological distress
- Passive coping strategies
- Fear avoidance beliefs
- NOT pain
What is the connect between the 5 things that are associated with persistent disability (risk factors)?
None are MSK, biological problems
They are all psychosocial problems
What are 6 major predictors of lomg term disability from LBP, which have the greatest influence on the outcome of low back pain conditions, irrespective of the severity of symptoms or any underlying physical pathology?
- Attitudes and beliefs (about recovery and cause of pain)
- negative affect
- expectation of passive recovery
- low self-efficacy
- catastrophizing
- fear avoidance beliefs and behaviours
In LBP, _____ management is far better for good outcomes than _____ management
Active; passive
What is the relationship between imaging and persistent, long term pain?
Imaging increases risk of someone developing persistent pain
What are 3 approaches to diagnoses based on? What does this have an impact on?
- imaging findings
- physical examination
- manual examination
Correlate poorly with a patients symptoms, their onward path of symptoms, or their treatment responsiveness
What are the 5 4 types of specific low back pain?
- Symptomatic spondylolysis or spondylolisthesis
- Spinal Stenosis
- Cauda Equina
- Lumbar radiculopathy
What is ratio specific and non-specific low back pain?
Specific: 10%
Non-specific: 90%
What is lumbar radiculopathy?
Compromise of the nerve root with resultant pain, weakness, and/or sensory impairment
What are 3 things that could cause lumbar radiculopathy?
- direct trauma
- mechanical compromise
- chemical irritation
In about 90% of the cases of specific low back pain the cause is herniated disc with _____ compromise, but lumbar stenosis and (less often) tumour or infection are also possible causes
nerve root
How common is lumbar radiculopathy as a specific LBP?
The most common neuropathic pain syndrome in patients with LBP
Symptoms in lumbar radiculopathy are limited to a “_________” distribution
neuroanatomically plausible
What are 5 things that people with neuropathic LBP (eg. lumbar radiculopathy) experience higher levels of when compared to non specific LBP?
- Pain
- Disability
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Reduced quality of life
Usually there is a ____ (Longer/shorter) prognosis with specific LBP (radiculopathy) compared to non-specific LBP
Longer
What 3 history and physical examination findings are consistent with the diagnosis of lumbar disc herniation with radiculopathy?
- Manual muscle testing
- Sensory testing
- Supine straight leg raise
Is spinal stenosis common or rare?
- Very rare
- More common in elderly
- Complain fatigue
What is spinal stenosis?
Degenerative condition with diminished space available for the neural and vascular elements in the lumbar spine secondary to degenerative changes.
While symptoms can vary, what are 5 common symptoms of spinal stenosis?
- Gluteal and/or lower extremity pain and/or fatigue (may occur with or without back pain)
- Symptoms on upright exercise such as walking
- Relief with forward flexion, sitting and/or recumbency (Sit, Lie down)
- May get NR pain specifically if one NR irritated – may present like radiculopathy
- Patient often has stiffness (Lack of mobility) too – likely due to associated degenerative joint disease
Why does someone with spinal stenosis have normal neurological (even they are compromised and the spinal cord)?
Usually when you see the diminished space is enough to cause pain but not enough to cause neurological symptoms
Space is not diminished as much in supine compared to when standing