L2-3: Physiotherapy assessment of adults with neurological disorders Flashcards
What are 3 specific problems/impairments that the process of assessment will identify in clinical reasoning in neurological physiotherapy? What happens after?
- interfere with the quality of movement
- – limit the ability to perform functional activities
- – restrict participation in everyday tasks
From this problem list, treatment goals andma treatment program can be developed
What are the 8 stages in the Neurological Physiotherapy Assessment Process?
- Gathering information from client’s records
- Initial Observations
- Subjective Examination / Interview
- Functional Task Analysis
- Impairment Assessment
- Objective Outcome Measurement
- Gathering Information from Other Therapists/Team Members
- Determining the Problem List
In Neurological physiotherapy, it is the _____ (same/different) clinical reasoning process for all clients. Not all of the assessment procedures described will be relevant to every client. It is up to the physiotherapist to determine the exact content of the _____ and the priority / order of the various components based on: Knowledge of the particular neurological condition. Client’s current stage within the continuum of care
same; assessment
What are 3 characteristics of patient assessment?
- The assessment should start with a conversation.
- It should not be a list of questions asked without purpose to fill in as much information as possible
- KEY PRACTISE TIP
- If you don’t have a reason to ask that is relevant and key to commencement of your interaction…. STOP! – formulate a WHY
- Find the reason before continuing with that question
What are 3 ways to extract data in regards to the patient’s history?
- Written
- Verbal
- 3rd hand report
What are 3 ways to review client’s records in the neurological assessment?
- Hospital medical record / chart
- Community reports
- Referral letter
What are 4 key information that must be extracted for the neurological assessment (client’s records)?
- pathology
- participation restrictions
- functional restrictions
- impairments
What are 9 key/relevant information from the medical chart (review medical records)?
- Personal details: name, Date of Birth, next of kin
- Diagnosis
- Date of Admission to Hospital
- History of the Presenting Illness
- Relevant Past Medical History eg Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Neurological, Musculoskeletal
- Surgical History
- Tests: X-rays; Biochemistry; CT scan or MRI, US / Doppler
- Medications
- Social background
- Where lives, with whom, type of house, etc.
- Occupation, interests, e.g. hobbies
Is it possible to get patients with no data?
No data? Off the street?
Many times patients will attend directly off the street without a referral… “Mr Physio, I heard you work with balance. I am having trouble picking my feet up and keep falling when walking on the sidewalk”
What are 15 features of the subjective examination in the neurological assessment?
- Ask relevant questions to establish clinical picture – start with establishing some basic goals of attendance
- Use a conversational mode not a stream of questions.
- Clarify problems as much as you can beforeproceeding to your objective examination
- Eg. Falling When do they fall? Why? How frequently?
- History of presenting illness
- Client’s perception of his/her present level of function
- Client’s ability to participate in daily routines, e.g. details of transfers, toileting etc.
- Client’s perception of major problems, treatment goals (e.g. most important goal)
- Any existing medical symptoms that may affect your treatment e.g. dizziness, chest pain, dyspnoea, arthritis, numbness etc
- Vision
- Sensation
- Pain (where, when, how much, what gives relief)
- Hand dominance
- Social history
- Family
- Accommodation
- Hobbies
- Occupation roles
- Previous level of functioning
- independence level
- endurance
- participation in physical activities
- Past or present physiotherapy treatment –what did this look like?
What are 3 things you should be able to comment on at the conclusion of the subjective examination in the neurological assessment?
- Communication problems
- Clarity of speech, use of words
- Cognitive status
- Matching medical records, making sense
- Client’s attitude, motivation and understanding of his/her present symptoms and situation
What are the 5 handling and facilitation principles? What acronym is used?
What are 11 initial observations in the neurological assessment?
- Conscious level
- Appearance
- Posture or deformities
- Skin colour
- Skin condition
- Oedema
- Facial movements
- Quality of movement
- spontaneous and voluntary
- e.g. Facial symmetry and expression
- How the get out of a chair / walk to the room
- Apparent lack of awareness to self, environment
- Aids, orthoses and other equipment
- Gait and/or use of wheelchair
What are 4 features of safety that are important in the neurological assessment?
- Is the patient safe?
- Can they engage and not be harmed?
- Look at alignment of arms / legs, are they at risk of injury
- How do you decide best method to commence your physical examination?
What are 3 safe transfers to the plinth for the objective examination?
- If in wheelchair
- Need to decide on appropriate method of transfer
- quickly assess active movements in arms, legs and trunk
- information from chart / patient report
- Can you screen / assess for other issues that could impede a safe transfer?
- Vision?
- Sensation? (Hypersensitive)
- Awareness of limbs / self
- Verticality
- Sense of balance
What are 5 characteristics of the quick screen in neurological assessment?
- Muscle activation
- Sensation
- Vision
- Sense of self (Where they are? –> sitting, upright?)
- Ability to follow instructions (Can not follow multiple commands)
What are the 2 key questions necessarily to be asked in safe transfers of the neurological assessment?
- Do you need one person or two?
- What level of assistance are you expecting to provide?
What are 2 solutions if you feel unsafe in transfers in the neurological assessment?
- Ask another therapist to assist in a two person controlled transfer
- If a standing transfer is not possible:
- do a sliding transfer
- use a hoist
Always observe the NO LIFT POLICY
What are 5 actions if you feel safe in transfers in the neurological assessment?
- Assist the patient to stand up before proceeding to transfer
- Note:
- posture
- balance
- control at the hip and knee with loading
- Decide if you can safely transfer the patient
- Give the assistance necessary for a safe controlled transfer
- While doing so note:
- posture
- balance
- weight shift
- movement of the affected side
- amount of assistance needed (from standby to maximal)
- effect of effort on movement
What are 11 functional activities in the physical examination?
- Lifting bottom up off bed
- rolling
- sit up/lie down
- sitting activities (balance)
- standing up and sitting down
- Moving from one point to another (transfers)
- standing activities (balance)
- walking
- going up / down stairs / curbs
- running
- arm limb function (support, reach, grasp and manipulation)
In the physical examination of ORDER, you should always start with __________.
Functional Analysis of Task (FAT)
Able to screen but very unlikely to do a formal examination first. FAT is more important. Assessment might only be occasional (can activate muscle in one position but cannot in others)
What is the FAT stand for?
Functional Analysis of Task
What is the purpose of the Functional Analysis of Task (FAT)?
Analysis of movement quality and control during the performance of functional tasks
Highlights other areas that require detailed assessment…. Never test impairments until you have seen the patient do as many functional tasks as possible. WHY?
What are the 4 steps in ORDER of FAT?
- Request them to stand up, walk, reach
- Observation of the functional movement
- Observe deviations from normal movement
- Observe the essential components of the task that are present or absent or where control is poor
What is the next 2 steps after FAT in the physical examination?
- Functional analysis task
- Observe the movement disorder
- Consider why the movement is abnormal…think back to pathology
- inability to selectively activate the appropriate muscles
- altered tone
- difficulty initiating movement
- incoordination
- sensory, visual or perceptual impairments
- motor planning problems
- loss of muscle or neural length or joint range of movement
What are 5 examples of DIRECT in ORDER in the physical exam?
- Can you stand up with your feet in line?
- Can you take bigger steps?
- Can you step over the line?
- Can you reach for the cup?
- Add in auditory cues… can you stand UP, UP , UP
OBSERVE FOR IMPROVED MOVEMENT
Sometimes not always muscle activation but due to apraxia (where patient has difficulty motor planning)
What are 2 movement components to record for each functional task?
- record any missing essential components
- describe any abnormal movements or strategies employed by the patient
What does E stand for in ORDER of the physical exam? What is the main purpose?
ENHANCE
Enhance the movement (usually done with DIRECT)
- Add in some sensory or visual cues?
- Feel the foot to the ground?
- Enhance the muscle activation with load, compression, quick stretch, tactile input .
- Enhance muscle relaxation or timing with speed
- Can you see your feet , knee? Bend it more.
OBSERVE FOR IMPROVED MOVEMENT