Mixed Workbook

Question 1

What is a ganglion, where are they commonly found and how do they usually present?

Answer 1

A cyst arising from a tendon sheath, commonly found around the wrist and usually presents as a well-defined painless lump

Question 2

What is a nerve conduction study? How does it identify damaged nerves?

Answer 2

Diagnostic test used to evaluate the electrical conductivity of peripheral motor and sensory nerves

Can identify damaged nerves by demonstrating reduced speed of conduction

Question 3

What is the most common cause of lower back pain?

Answer 3

Soft tissue injury; ligaments of sacroiliac joint, tendons of muscles

Question 4

What imaging would you like to perform on simple back pain?

Answer 4

Routinely no imaging is recommended to be of any value unless there’s trauma or a neurological deficit

Question 5

How would you manage a patient with lower back pain? What sort of things would you tell them to do, take, look out for (hint; red flags)?

Answer 5

Advice to move as tolerated with basic OTC analgesia (i.e paracetamol, ibuprofen), NO CODEINE

Red flags: Signs of acute cord compression: urinary or fecal incontinence, numbness in buttocks/thighs, weakness in lower limbs, saddle anaesthesia, bilateral sciatic symptoms