Diagnostic Reasoning Paper

A strain is an acute or chronic soft tissue injury that occurs to a muscle, tendon, or both . The equivalent injury to a ligament is a sprain. A strain can occur as a result of improper body mechanics with any activity that can induce mechanical trauma or injury. The most common body location for strains to occur is in the foot, leg, or back.

When it comes to identifying the source of your lower back pain - there are many possible causes. No one knows your body better than you. Doctors depend on your assessment for a diagnosis. We often have high expectations that most practitioners will diagnose every condition known to man – just to find out that they often have no clue!

Not moving an individual correctly can cause stress and injury to the spinal column, this can cause ligaments to sprain. this is why individuals should never be dragged when moving them as the joints in their back may over stretch and cause sprained ligaments.

A. its unprofessional and may lead to a delay in court hearing or process until it is better understood, or corrected. (Sieter chapter 4)

You usually feel back pain after lifting a heavy object, move suddenly, sit in one position for too long or suffer an injury or

Low back pain (LBP) is one of the leading causes of disability and work absence globally, affecting not just the individual, but also extending to families, communities and society at large. Whilst the prevalence of LBP is high, with over 70 percent of people experiencing some LBP at some point during their lives, most will resolve within a few months (Campbell et al, 2013). Problems arise when pain persists beyond the expected period of healing or when it exceeds 12 weeks in duration. An estimated 40 percent of people who present with acute LBP continue to report symptoms after 3 months and

Back pain is one of the most commonly reported health problems among working adults. One of the primary reasons

Low back pain affects over 90 percent of adults at some point in their lives (Capobianco & Sachs, 2013) with 15-30 percent of these originating at the sacroiliac joint (SIJ) (Cohen et al., 2010). The SIJ is a stable, diarthrodial joint connecting the sacrum to the pelvis which uses ligaments, as well as muscular and fascial components, to support the upper body and absorb and transmit forces from the spine to the lower body (Chen, Cohen & Neufeld, 2013). Imbalances of these components can cause stress on the joint leading to altered muscle activation, pain and disability (Cher et al., 2015). Pregnancy, altered posture, weight gain and gait and biomechanical abnormalities can predispose patients to this, however, a history of trauma

Back pain impact equally among male and female, and commonly affects those who are between 35 and 55 years of age

Back pains are detrimental to those individuals that suffer from it. Often those who have experienced this ailment do not seek help. Reason being, they may assume that the pain will subsided or they may not have the money to see a medical practitioner. When those individuals do not take the time to rest their back or seek help, than are likely to run the risk of causing more harm than good to their back. It is highly recommended that back pain suffers inquire about different treatments to reduce their pain. By doing so, the medical practitioner can example them and refer them to a therapist for further treatment.

INTRODUCTION: Low-back pain (LBP) is a common cause of disability in our society. Pain in the lower back can have many origins. The differential diagnosis for low back pain comprises mechanical, non-mechanical, and visceral causes and includes for example degenerative disc disease, spondylolysis, spondylolisthesis, spinal stenosis, spondylodiscitis.

Back pain is one possible symptom of a number of types of cancer, but this is fairly rare. A 1988 study entitled "Cancer as a cause of back pain: frequency, clinical presentation, and diagnostic strategies" found cancer to be the cause of back pain in 13 out of 1,975 patients (.66%). Though rare, it is important to understand when and how back pain may be symptomatic of different forms of cancer, both to ease your mind when it is not and to facilitate early detection when it is.

Great post. I totally agree with your chosen diagnosis. In scenario 2, patient complained of dyspnea, hemoptysis and chest pain. On assessment, patient’s respiratory rate was 32 and labored; pulse 112, O2 sat 90%, skin cool and sweaty, heart rate was irregular. He also has 2+ edema on right calf, erythema, warmth, and tenderness. He also appeared anxious. These are classic signs of PE. Also, the NP ordered specific labs for the patient from the information and assessment she conducted. Diagnostic reasoning is a scientific process in which the practitioner suspects the cause of the patient’s symptoms and signs based on previous knowledge gathers relevant information, select necessary tests and recommend therapy (Dains, Baumann, & Scheibel,

Strain/Sprain – Strain is defined as the stretching of muscles or tendons beyond their usual limits; may be very painful at first but this does not produce any lasting

The necessary Review of Systems, along with a detailed physical exam are key components for clinical assessment and back pain management. Fact gathering tools specific to the patient’s subjective pain would include the pain assessment acronym, OLD CART. Pain depiction is determined by the onset, location, duration, character of pain, aggravating and relieving factors, radiation and timing. The challenge for the clinician is to distinguish the benign cases from the cases that require further study. The triage helps classify patients with serious disorders of the spine and non-spinal conditions. Red flags (indicators) are of particular concern when examining the patient. Symptoms and other