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(Physio) Clinical Assessment and Treatment > MSK Assessment Principles > Flashcards

MSK Assessment Principles Flashcards

1
Q

What is the purpose of a musculoskeletal assessment? What is the difference between a symptom and a sign?

A
  • Understand the patient’s problem
  • Design a treatment program

Symptom: what the patient complains of

Ex: pain tingling, crepitus, numbness

Sign: what the therapist sees and feels (observable, measurable findings)

Ex: warmth, swelling, …

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2
Q

What are some questions for the social history, subjective part of an assessment?

A
  • Age (e.g., Osgoode-Schlatter’s disease)
  • Occupation
  • Type of work?
  • Hours of work?
  • E.g., part-time, full-time, casual, shift work
  • How long has the patient done this particular job?

• Language, gender, activity history (current and past), culture

  • Psychological Factors
  • Hand dominance
  • Personality characteristics (e.g., motivation, comprehension)

• Living arrangements (e.g., stairs, transportation, housing)

  • Family and friend support
  • Culture
  • Work/School environment
  • Team/coach/trainer environment
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3
Q

What are some questions to ask for the history of the present illness (HPI)?

A
  • When did the problem start?
  • How long has the patient had the problem?
  • What was the mechanism of injury (MOI)?
  • What happened? How did it start?
  • Slow versus traumatic onset
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4
Q

During the initial subjective assessment, how can you map out the site of the injury?

A
  • Map out the exact area and boundaries of the pain
  • Get the patient to point to the area “Where exactly are your symptoms?”
  • When several painful areas exist, identify the top painful areas to manage first
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5
Q

Describe the four components of a subjective assessment: radiation, nature, periodicity, and duration of the pain.

A

Radiation

  • Is the pain localized or does it spread?
  • Does the pain follow a dermatomal or segmental reference nature of pain

• Extra-segmental pain (dura – red flag)

Nature

  • Worse in the morning but gets better as the day goes on
  • E.g., fluid in the disc with ongoing weight-bearing positions

Periodicity

• Constant or intermittent (even if the intermittent is only 5 minutes long)

Duration of the Pain

• How long does the pain last?

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6
Q

How can you assess the intensity of the pain during the subjective assessment?

A
  • Using a 0-10 pain index or a visual analog scale
  • Anobjective, subjective index
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7
Q

What are some characteristics that describe pain’s “quality”

A

Burning

Sharp

Boring

Shooting

Dull

Aching

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8
Q

What are aggravating activities? When should we include these? Give examples.

What are some easing activities? Give examples.

A

Aggravating Activities

Movements that increase symptoms
Include these movements toward the end of the assessment E.g., positions, activities, time of day

Easing Activities

Movements that improve symptoms
What activity or position makes the patient feel better? E.g., medications (anti-inflammatories), modalities

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9
Q

What do we have to consider regarding the activities of daily living (ADL) of the patient?

A

• How long has this problem affected your:

  • Everyday activities?
  • Occupation?
  • Recreational activities?

• Is there anything that is difficult or impossible for your to do now since the onset of this problem?

Helps create patient centric goals and what the patient would want to accomplish

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10
Q

What does morning pain vs morning stiffness indicate?

A

• Morning pain

Ligamentous injury

Inflammatory disease (E.g., rheumatoid arthritis – chemical build up

overnight)

  • Morning stiffness
  • Degenerative joint disease (E.g., osteoarthritis)
  • Lose lubrication while sleeping – can reduce stiffness with hot shower• Could be inflammatory if lasting longer than 1 hour
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11
Q

What is there to consider regarding night pain? What would be concerning?

A

• Do their symptoms ever keep the patient awake? If yes, how frequently?

  • Does the pain ever awaken the patient? If yes, how frequently?
  • What does the patient do to relieve symptoms?
  • Can the patient lie on the affected side?

Night pain that is not relieved by anything is concerning!

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12
Q

What are the two possible causes of night pain and their characteristics? Which one is a red flag for PTs?

A

Chemical Causes

  • A “RED FLAG” for the physiotherapy
  • Neither movement nor change in position will affect the pain• Comes on roughly the same time each night
  • The patient will often “walk the floor”
  • Possible cause could be cancer

Refer back to family physician for further tests, if absolutely nothing makes it feel better

Mechanical Causes

• Improves with a change in position or with movement

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13
Q

What is there to consider while taking the previous medical history (PMHx)?

A

• Has the problem occurred before (i.e., first occurrence or reoccurrence)?

  • Was pervious treatment effective?
  • What was the outcome?
  • Any residual findings?

• Was the patient satisfied with the results?

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14
Q

What do you ask regarding previous surgeries?

A
  • Where?
  • When?
  • Surgeon?

• What was the outcome? – depends on who you ask *caution*

  • Surgeon versus patient satisfaction
  • E.g., return to sport in youth athlete
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15
Q

What questions can you ask regarding general health?

A
  • What treatments have been tried?
  • A&E visit, family physician, trainer,
  • medication, massage therapist, osteopath,
  • chiropractor, another PT
  • What was the result?

THREADS

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16
Q

What do you consider regarding radiographs.

A

When

Where

Outcomes (don’t assume that no news is good news)

Other imaging or diagnostic investigations?

E.g., MRI, CT scan, bone scan, bone density, blood

work, EMG
• Can be requested with the patient’s consent

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17
Q

Which aspects are helpful to know regarding patient’s current medication? Which one would be a yellow flag?

A

For current condition and/or other conditions

  • Type, dosage and length of time on a medication
  • Purpose for taking medication
  • Response, compliance and side effects of medication
  • Known allergies to medication
  • Insurance coverage
  • Anti-coagulants? (e.g., Warfarin, Cumafin) – YELLOW FLAG
  • High risk of bleeding
  • Important implications for treatment (e.g., rigor)
  • Chemotherapy and radiation therapy can also lead to high fracture risk
  • When did they last take their medication (e.g., 10 min versus 8 hours)
  • Need to be able to reproduce symptoms to assess
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18
Q

What are the possible long-term effects of corticosteroid use?

A

Debate on detrimental long-term effects of corticosteroid use

  • Osteoporosis proximal muscle weakness
  • Generalized weakness
  • Generalized tissue swelling
  • Thin, fragile skin (no deep tissue treatment)
  • Increased pain threshold
  • Precaution when using manual techniques
  • High fracture risk
  • Limited modality use
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19
Q

How are red flags important? What are some global system questions?

A

To identify any serious underlying pathology

E.g. cancer, vascular compromise, neurological signs, infections, fractures

Global System Questions:
• Any unexplained alteration in energy level?
• Does the pain consistently wake you from your sleep?

  • Have you experienced night sweats?
  • Any unexplained weight loss?
20
Q

Give some red flag examples.

A

Severe, constant unremitting pain, night pain or spasm

No history of injury, unaffected by medication or position

Spinal Cord symptoms: paraesthesia or numbness in 2 or 4 limbs

Vertebral Artery symptoms: dizziness, difficulty swallowing (dysphagia), double vision (diplopia), difficulty articulating words (dysarthria), drop attack (fall to floor but no loss of consciousness), nausea, nystagmus (Difficulty keeping your eyes in one direction) (Know all our Five Ds)

Cauda Equina symptoms: numbness in the saddle area, loss of sexual function

Bowel/Bladder dysfunction: loss of bowel control

It’s always a matter of ruling out, instead of ruling in

21
Q

What are some possible red flag sources?

A

Cancer
Heart
Upper motor neuron disorder Joint infection
Other infection
Vertebral artery compromise Internal carotid artery issue Fracture
Upper cervical spine instability

22
Q

Other than red, what are some other types of flags? What do they represent?

A

YELLOW FLAGS

Psychological/behavioral factors

BLUE FLAGS

Social and economic factors

BLACK FLAGS

Occupational factor

23
Q

After your subjective history, you should be able to:

A

After your subjective history, you should be able to:

[1] Describe a clinical hypothesis/hypotheses

[2] Determine if appropriate and safe to continue

[3] Determine the SIN factors

24
Q

What are the some steps to objective examination?

A
  1. Observation
  2. Muscle length/strength tests
  3. A/P ROM (with overpressure)
  4. Functional Tests
  5. Special Tests
  6. Palpations
  • Myotomes
  • Dermatomes
  • Reflexes
  • Motor Neuron Reflexes
  • Neurodynamic Tests
  • Pulses
25
Q

During observation, start by checking the alignment of the body. Why is the alignment important?

A

• Always look first at the overall picture then narrow your focus

ALIGNMENT (includes posture)

As with any other mechanical system, alignment is important

Ideal alignment facilitates optimal movement

If alignment is ideal, there is less chance of causing microtrauma to the joint and its supporting structures

26
Q

What are the key aspects to a good postural scan?

A
  • Complete in standing, sitting, and supine (modify for age/condition as needed)
  • Consider anterior, posterior and both lateral perspectives
  • Despite asymmetry, we need to be convinced that it is related to the presenting symptoms
27
Q

Give some of the most important aspects to check for during observation.

A

POSTURE

BRUISING

SWELLING

SOFT TISSUE CONTOURS

SKIN CONDITION

BONY CONTOURS

PATIENT BEHAVIOURS

28
Q

Name some functional movements that you can ask your patient to do during observation.

A
  • Functional movements combining elements of the objective exam
  • E.g., ROM, strength, balance
  • Quick gait assessment
  • Walk on heels and toes
  • Squat
  • Twist

• One leg standing

  • Shoulder shrug
  • Hand behind back

• Hand behind head

29
Q

Why is functional assessment testing? What are three aspects to consider, that could possibly be affected by the injury?

A

• To determine how injury is affecting the patient’s ADLs

Daily self-care activities:

• E.g., grooming, walking, eating, dressing

Recreational activities:

• E.g., driving, gardening, meal preparation, laundry

Patient specific/injury specific tests:

• E.g., running, squatting, hand dexterity, transfers, throwing

30
Q

What aspects are you looking at during a GAIT assessment?

A

Balance
Stride length

Coordination
Limp
Rhythm
Assistive devices

Distribution of weight

31
Q

What are the main principles of examination? What do you start with? After that?

A

• Tell the patient what you are doing and test the unaffected side first

  • AROM→PROM→resisted isometric movements (most painful are last)
  • For PROM and ligament testing, the quality of movement and quality of end-feel are important
  • Apply overpressure (OP) with care to test the end-feel
  • Repeated movements or sustained postures and positions
  • Resisted isometric movements (resting position→resist on stretch)
32
Q

What are active range of motion movements (AROM)? What are they used for (2)? What can they tell you (3)?

A
  • Movements under the patient’s volitional control
  • Can be normal, limited or excessive
  • Painful active movements implicate both contractile and inert structures
  • Used to determine:
  • Patient’s willingness to move
  • Available joint ROM (quality and quantity of movement)

• How gentle or vigorous the subsequent objective examination should be

  • If the patient has the muscle power to perform the movement
  • The region where symptoms are located and which tissue to test in detail
  • When in AROM does pain occur and where is the pain?
  • Does the movement make the pain better, worse, or the same?• The pattern of movement and quality of movement
  • Amount of restriction
  • Movement of associated joints
  • Willingness of patient to move
33
Q

What is the goal of passive range of motion (PROM)? What are the two different types? Gives examples

A
  • Tests inert structures and places passive tension on the antagonist contractile unit
  • Findings: reproduction or alteration of pain or other symptoms, ROM and pattern of limitation, end-feel

Types

• Passive physiological movements (PPM)

  • Movements that occur normally at the joint
  • Performed under volitional control or performed passively
  • ex: flexion (PPF), extension (PPE), abduction (PPABD)
  • Passive accessory movements (PAM)

ex: posterior-anterior (PA), anterior-posterior (AP), longitudinal movements

34
Q

What are the two types of passive range of motion movements?

A

OSTEOKINEMATICS

• Rotary movement of the bony lever in space during physiological joint motion

ARTHROKINEMATICS
• One segment is relatively stable and the other segment moves on that stable base

35
Q

What are passive accessory movements? What are the three types of joint mobility? What are some abnormal types of end-feels?

A
  • Movement not under volitional control
  • Necessary (with physiological movements) to function

• “Joint Play Movement” = passive accessory movements

  • Joint mobility: normal, hypomobile, hypermobile
  • The amount or free play of a given joint (neutral zone)

• End-feel: painful, resistance, spasm (and the relationship between them)

36
Q

What are some aspects to look for in PROM testing?

A
  • When in PROM does pain occur and where is the pain?
  • Does the movement make the pain better, worse, or the same?
  • The pattern of movement and quality of the end-feel
  • Amount of restriction
  • Movement of associated joints
37
Q

Name some of the different types of endfeel and an example for each.

A

ENDFEEL EXAMPLE

Normal: bone to bone Elbow extension

Soft tissue approximation Elbow flexion

Tissue stretch Ankle dorsiflexion

Abnormal: early muscle spasm Protective spasm following injury

Late muscle spasm Spasm due to instability

Hard capsular Frozen shoulder

Soft capsular Synovitis, edema, ligament laxity

Bone to bone Osteophyte formation

Empty Acute bursitis

Springy block Meniscus tear

38
Q

LAG describes what type of phenomenon? What are some possible causes for that?

A

PROM > AROM

Possible causes of muscle weakness:

  • Muscle strain
  • Pain/reflex inhibition
  • Peripheral nerve injury
  • Nerve root lesion
  • Tendon pathology
  • Avulsion
  • Psychological Factors
39
Q

What does resisted ROM test? What can it help find? There are two ways to find that ROM…?

A
  • Tests contractile structures by active tension
  • Findings: pattern of pain and weakness

Test in neutral – the muscle position to generate maximum force

Test the muscle in its stretched position –to maximize tension through contractile tissues (e.g., muscle belly, tendon, tendon- periosteal junction)

40
Q

Elements to look for in resisted ROM.

A
  • Does the contraction cause pain. If so, how much, where?
  • How strong is the contraction?
  • What type (isometric, concentric, eccentric) of contraction caused the pain?

• Did the contraction start strong but with sustained maximal effort (5-6 seconds), did the contraction become weak (fatigable weakness = neurological = nerve palsy)

41
Q

What do these resisted ROM test findings indicate?

  • Strong and pain free in all positions = ?
  • Relatively strong but some pain = ?
  • Weak and painful = ?
  • Weak and painless = ?
A
  • Strong and pain free in all positions = normal
  • Relatively strong but some pain = mild strain of contractile structure
  • Weak and painful = moderate to severe strain of contractile structure
  • Weak and painless = complete tear or rupture of the contractile structure
42
Q

What are some examples of abnormal sensations?

A
  • Crepitus
  • Clicking
  • Snapping
  • Grating
  • Creaking
  • Popping
43
Q

What can special joint tests indicate?

A
  • Specific tests of a joint or particular structure
  • Suggestive of a particular problem involving those structures (not conclusive)
44
Q

Reflexes: a loss or abnormal conduction will lead to (3)?

A

• A loss or abnormal of conduction will lead to:

  • Hyporeflexia: A reduced deep tendon reflex (DTR)
  • Areflexia: A loss or absence of DTR

• Hyperreflexia: An increased DTR

45
Q

What information can palpation give you?

A
  • Discriminate differences in tissue tension
  • Muscle tone, spasticity, flaccidity (know what every tissue feels like)
  • Discriminate difference in tissue texture
  • Identify shape, structures, tissue type, thickness – normal versus abnormal
46
Q

Other than feeling tissues, palpation can be helpful to determine (3)…

A
  • Pulses
  • Local temperature

• Swelling

(Physio) Clinical Assessment and Treatment (15 decks)

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