NURS 6512 Discussion Musculoskeletal Pain

NURS 6512 Discussion Musculoskeletal Pain

NURS 6512 Discussion Musculoskeletal Pain

S.

CC (chief complaint): “I feel pain in my ankles, but the right one is more intense.”

HPI:

R.K is a 46-year-old A.A female presenting with a chief complaint of pain in her ankles. She reports that the pain in the right ankle is more intense.  The ankle pain began three days ago when she was playing soccer at the women’s soccer club in her church. She states that she heard a pop sound in her right ankle when playing, which was followed by a sudden intense pain on the right ankle, and she was unable to stand on the right foot. She has, however, been able to walk on the right foot, although it is uncomfortable. R.K also reports having some degree of tenderness and swelling on the right ankle. The ankle pain is aggravated by walking and relieved to some degree by OTC Tylenol, which she takes when the pain aggravates. She rates the pain on the left ankle as 3/10 and the right ankle as 6/10 on the pain scale.

Current Medications: OTC Tylenol 1 gm for pain.

Vitamin C supplements.

Allergies: Allergic to penicillin- causes rash, hives, and itchy eyes. No known food or seasonal allergies.

PMHx: Last Influenza shot-7 months ago. Last Tetanus- 3 years ago. No history of chronic illnesses. History of an appendectomy at 34 years. History of Tonsillectomy at 7 years.

Soc Hx:

R.K is a community youth counselor and has a diploma in Counseling. The patient is married. She currently lives with her spouse and three children aged 17, 14, and 8. Her hobbies include traveling and playing football. She is the captain of the women’s soccer club in her church and is the assistant coach for the junior girls’ soccer club. She reports taking wine occasionally but denies smoking tobacco or using illicit substances. She reports having a strict diet and taking about 7 glasses of water a day. The patient states that she has an active lifestyle and takes a morning run for about 40minutes at least 5 days a week. She also plays football on weekends. Her last health exam was 2 years ago.  She states that her support system is her family and sisters.

Fam Hx: Family history of HTN- mother and maternal grandfather. History of breast cancer- paternal grandmother. The elder sister has a history of Asthma. Children are alive and well.

ROS:

GENERAL: Denies elevated body temperature, reduced energy levels, chills, or weight loss/gain.

HEENT:  No history of head trauma, visual changes, hearing loss, ear discharge, nasal discharge/blockage, sneezing, or pain/difficulty swallowing.

SKIN:  Denies color changes, itching, or lesions.

CARDIOVASCULAR:  No history of swelling, chest discomfort, heart palpitations, or dyspnea at rest or exertion.

RESPIRATORY:  No history of chest pain, cough, sputum, or dyspnea.

GASTROINTESTINAL:  Denies appetite changes, nausea/ vomiting, abdominal discomfort, or diarrhea/constipation.

GENITOURINARY:  Denies abnormal PV discharge, dysuria, or urinary frequency/urgency. LMP-3 weeks ago.

NEUROLOGICAL: Negative for dizziness, headache, paralysis, or burning sensations in the extremities.

MUSCULOSKELETAL: Positive for ankle pain and swelling. Limitations in movement. Denies joint stiffness/pain/enlargement.

HEMATOLOGIC:  No history of bleeding or blood transfusion.

PSYCHIATRIC:  Denies history of mental illnesses.

ENDOCRINOLOGIC: Negative for excessive perspirations, cold/heat intolerance, excessive urination, or acute thirst.

ALLERGIES: Allergic to penicillin.

O.

Physical exam:

VITAL SIGNS: BP- 126/74; HR- 98; RR-20; Temp-98.78 F

HT-5’4; WT- 136 pounds.

GENERAL: Neat and well-groomed female in no acute distress. Alert and oriented X4. Speech is clear and goal-directed. Maintains eye contact and exhibits a positive attitude.

CARDIOVASCULAR: Negative for JVD or edema. RRR; S1and S2 audible. No gallop sounds or murmurs heard on auscultations.

RESPIRATORY: Smooth and uniform respirations. Chest clear on auscultation.

MUSCULOSKELETAL: No skin color changes at the ankles.

Left Ankle- No bruising, swelling, or loss of function. Mild tenderness at the anterior aspects of the lateral malleoli. Negative ligamentous laxity with anterior drawer and talar tilt testing.  Decreased total ankle motion of 2 degrees. No bony point tenderness. No difficulty bearing weight.

Right ankle- Bruising present. Moderate tenderness at the maximal points of the anterior (ATFL) aspect of the lateral malleoli on the right ankle. Positive anterior drawer test, negative talar tilt test- moderate joint instability. Some loss of function. Decreased total ankle motion of 7 degrees. Pain with weight-bearing and walking. No bony point tenderness.

Diagnostic results:

X-ray of the right ankle: An X-ray will be required to exclude fractures.

The Ottawa ankle rules indicate that ankle radiographs should be obtained in the event of pain in the malleolar region and any of the following: Pain on the posterior margin of the distal 6 cm or apex of the lateral malleolus; Pain on the posterior margin of the distal 6 cm or apex of the medial malleolus; and Incapacity to bear weight right away after an injury and for four steps during the assessment (Wells et al., 2019).

A.

Differential Diagnoses

Acute Lateral Ankle Sprain

An ankle sprain entails an inversion-type twist of the foot, accompanied by pain and edema. Lateral ankle sprains are the most prevalent injury in physically active populations, primarily among teenagers and young adults (Herzog et al., 2019). Clinical features of ankle sprains include pain, tenderness, swelling, bruising, muscle spasm, and cold foot or paresthesia, which suggest possible neurovascular compromise (Herzog et al., 2019). According to Wells et al. (2019), ankle sprains are categorized as Grade I, II, and III. Grade I have minimal tenderness and swelling, no loss of function, decreased total ankle motion of 5 degrees and below, and swelling of 0.5 cm or below as measured by figure-of-eight testing.

Grade II is characterized by bruising, moderate tenderness, a decreased ROM between 5-10 degrees, moderate swelling of 0.5-2.0cm, and ankle instability (Wells et al., 2019).  Grade III presents with bruising, significant swelling of greater than 2.0 cm, near-total loss of function, ankle instability, extreme point tenderness, and decreased ankle ROM > 10 degrees.

Acute Lateral Ankle Sprain is the presumptive diagnosis based on the positive findings in the right ankle, including bruises, some loss of function tenderness at the anterior aspect of the lateral malleoli, moderate joint instability, reduced ROM of 7 degrees, and pain with weight-bearing and walking. The right ankle symptoms are consistent with a grade II lateral ankle sprain.

Acute Achilles tendon ruptures

Individuals with an Achilles tendon rupture often present with a primary symptom of a sudden snap in the lower calf accompanied by acute, severe pain. According to Egger and Berkowitz (2017), Achilles tendon rupture commonly occurs in healthy, active, young- to middle-aged persons, mostly from 37 to 43.5 years old. Patients often report experiencing a popping or giving way feeling in their posterior heel after pushing off (Egger & Berkowitz, 2017). Immediate pain occurs but slowly resolves, leaving a person with difficulty with plantar flexion, weight-bearing, or limping. Besides, the person cannot stand their toes on the affected side (Egger & Berkowitz, 2017). Achilles tendon rupture is a differential diagnosis based on findings of ankle pain, popping sensation that occurred during the ankle injury, and difficulties with bearing weight.

Right Ankle Fracture

While lateral ankle sprains comprise 90% of all ankle injuries, whereas an ankle fracture occurs only in 15% of the injuries, ankle fractures occur due to a twisting mechanism sustained from a low-energy injury (Lawson et al., 2018). A fractured ankle presents with severe pain, swelling, ecchymosis, and soft tissue injuries, such as abrasions and lacerations. Other features include loss of function, limited range of motion, compromised neurovascular status, and positive talar tilt and drawer testing (Lawson et al., 2018). A Right Ankle fracture is a differential diagnosis based on pertinent positives of pain, bruising, loss of function, reduced ROM, and positive talar tilt and drawer testing indicating joint instability.

 

References

Egger, A. C., & Berkowitz, M. J. (2017). Achilles tendon injuries. Current reviews in musculoskeletal medicine, 10(1), 72–80. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12178-017-9386-7

Herzog, M. M., Kerr, Z. Y., Marshall, S. W., & Wikstrom, E. A. (2019). Epidemiology of ankle sprains and chronic ankle instability. Journal of athletic training, 54(6), 603-610. https://doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-447-17

Lawson, K. A., Ayala, A. E., Morin, M. L., Latt, L. D., & Wild, J. R. (2018). Ankle fracture-dislocations: a review. Foot & Ankle Orthopaedics, 3(3), 2473011418765122. https://doi.org/10.1177/2473011418765122

Wells, B., Allen, C., Deyle, G., & Croy, T. (2019). MANAGEMENT OF ACUTE GRADE II LATERAL ANKLE SPRAINS WITH AN EMPHASIS ON LIGAMENT PROTECTION: A DESCRIPTIVE CASE SERIES. International journal of sports physical therapy, 14(3), 445–458. https://doi.org/10.26603/ijspt20190445

The body is constantly sending signals about its health. One of the most easily recognized signals is pain. Musculoskeletal conditions comprise one of the leading causes of severe long-term pain in patients. The musculoskeletal system is an elaborate system of interconnected levers that provides the body with support and mobility. Because of the interconnectedness of the musculoskeletal system, identifying the causes of pain can be challenging. Accurately interpreting the cause of musculoskeletal pain requires an assessment process informed by patient history and physical exams.
In this Discussion, you will consider case studies that describe abnormal findings in patients seen in a clinical setting.

To prepare:

• By Day 1 of this week, you will be assigned to one of the following specific case studies for this Discussion. Please see the “Course Announcements” section of the classroom for your assignment from your Instructor.
• Your Discussion post should be in the Episodic/Focused SOAP Note format rather than the traditional narrative style Discussion posting format. Refer to Chapter 2 of the Sullivan text and the Episodic/Focused SOAP Template in the Week 5 Learning Resources for guidance. Remember that all Episodic/Focused SOAP notes have specific data included in every patient case.
• Review the following case studies:

Case 1: Back Pain

Photo Credit: University of Virginia. (n.d.). Lumbar Spine Anatomy [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.med-ed.virginia.edu/courses/rad/ext/5lumbar/01anatomy.html. Used with permission of University of Virginia.
A 42-year-old male reports pain in his lower back for the past month. The pain sometimes radiates to his left leg. In determining the cause of the back pain, based on your knowledge of anatomy, what nerve roots might be involved? How would you test for each of them? What other symptoms need to be explored? What are your differential diagnoses for acute low back pain? Consider the possible origins using the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) guidelines as a framework. What physical examination will you perform? What special maneuvers will you perform?

Case 2: Ankle Pain

Photo Credit: University of Virginia. (n.d.). Lateral view of ankle showing Boehler’s angle [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.med-ed.virginia.edu/courses/rad/ext/8ankle/01anatomy.html. Used with permission of University of Virginia.
A 46-year-old female reports pain in both of her ankles, but she is more concerned about her right ankle. She was playing soccer over the weekend and heard a “pop.” She is able to bear weight, but it is uncomfortable. In determining the cause of the ankle pain, based on your knowledge of anatomy, what foot structures are likely involved? What other symptoms need to be explored? What are your differential diagnoses for ankle pain? What physical examination will you perform? What special maneuvers will you perform? Should you apply the Ottawa ankle rules to determine if you need additional testing?

Case 3: Knee Pain

Photo Credit: University of Virginia. (n.d.). Normal Knee Anatomy [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.med-ed.virginia.edu/courses/rad/ext/7knee/01anatomy.html. Used with permission of University of Virginia.
A 15-year-old male reports dull pain in both knees. Sometimes one or both knees click, and the patient describes a catching sensation under the patella. In determining the causes of the knee pain, what additional history do you need? What categories can you use to differentiate knee pain? What are your specific differential diagnoses for knee pain? What physical examination will you perform? What anatomic structures are you assessing as part of the physical examination? What special maneuvers will you perform?

With regard to the case study you were assigned:

• Review this week’s Learning Resources, and consider the insights they provide about the case study.
• Consider what history would be necessary to collect from the patient in the case study you were assigned.
• Consider what physical exams and diagnostic tests would be appropriate to gather more information about the patient’s condition. How would the results be used to make a diagnosis?
• Identify at least five possible conditions that may be considered in a differential diagnosis for the patient.
Note: Before you submit your initial post, replace the subject line (“Discussion – Week 8”) with “Review of Case Study ___.” Fill in the blank with the number of the case study you were assigned.

By Day 3 of Week 8

Post an episodic/focused note about the patient in the case study to which you were assigned using the episodic/focused note template provided in the Week 5 resources. Provide evidence from the literature to support diagnostic tests that would be appropriate for each case. List five different possible conditions for the patient’s differential diagnosis, and justify why you selected each.
Note: For this Discussion, you are required to complete your initial post before you will be able to view and respond to your colleagues’ postings. Begin by clicking on the “Post to Discussion Question” link, and then select “Create Thread” to complete your initial post. Remember, once you click on Submit, you cannot delete or edit your own posts, and you cannot post anonymously. Please check your post carefully before clicking on Submit!
Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses.

By Day 6 of Week 8

Respond to at least two of your colleagues on 2 different days who were assigned different case studies than you. Analyze the possible conditions from your colleagues’ differential diagnoses. Determine which of the conditions you would reject and why. Identify the most likely condition, and justify your reasoning.
Submission and Grading Information

Grading Criteria

To access your rubric:
Week 8 Discussion Rubric

Post by Day 3 of Week 8 and Respond by Day 6 of Week 8

To Participate in this Discussion:
Week 8 Discussion

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Patient Information:  T.J., 15 years old,  African American Male

CC  “Both Knees hurt, especially when I walk upstairs. Sometimes I hear clicking sound along with this strange catching sensation under my knee”

HPI:

TJ is 15 -year-old African American male with bilateral patellar pain, dull in nature and  localized  around anterior knee area. The pain started 3 days ago and was associated with walking up and downstairs, running, and squatting. The knee pain frequently  comes with a “clicking” noise and catching sensation under patella. Severity described as 7/10 .

Reports that Aleve makes it tolerable,  but not completely better. Takes 1 caplet 220 mg q 8-12 hours. Exacerbating factors reported by the client are walking, jumping, and squatting.

Current Medications: Aleve 220 mg every 8-12 as needed for pain . No RX medications, no other over the counter medications.

Allergies:

No known allergies. Denies food , environmental and latex allergies.

PMHx:

Up to date on all his immunizations, last COVID booster in April 2022, last flu vaccine December 2021.

Fractured right tibia three years ago while playing football, Denies history of arthritis, rheumatic fever, or Lyme disease. Denies any prior surgeries and /or hospitalizations.

SocHx: TJ identifies himself as “heterosexual”, but he is not sexually active. He lives with his parents. Denies any tobacco , alcohol, or illicit drug use. TJ is a high school student at Thomas Jefferson High school. He enjoys playing sports , football is his favorite sport. He is a wide receiver on the school football team. TJ runs in the morning and goes to the gym during the afternoons.  TJ wears his seatbelt whenever riding in a motor vehicle , reports getting 8-10 hours of sleep a night. He likes spending time with his friends and going movies.

Fam Hx: T.J parents are both still living. Dad 49 years old has history of HTN, Peptic ulcers, and gout . Mom 51-year-old has CHF and HTN. His younger brother does not have any significant health history.

ROS:

GENERAL:  TJ does not have weight loss, denies fever, chills, weakness or fatigue.

HEENT:  Eyes:  Denies blurred or loss vision. Denies double vision. No  yellowsclerae noted.

Ears, Nose, Throat:  Reports no hearing loss, sneezing, congestion, runny nose or sore throat.

SKIN:  Denies rash or itching.

CARDIOVASCULAR:  Denies chest pain, chest pressure or chest discomfort. Denies  palpitations or edema.

RESPIRATORY:  Denies  shortness of breath, cough or sputum production.

GASTROINTESTINAL: Denies intestinal discomfort, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. Reports no abdominal pain or blood.

GENITOURINARY:  Reports No Burning on urination.

NEUROLOGICAL:  Denies headache, dizziness, syncope, paralysis, ataxia, numbness or tingling in the extremities. Reports no change in bowel or bladder control.

MUSCULOSKELETAL: positive for bilateral patellar pain , tenderness, and slight edema around Right and left knee.

HEMATOLOGIC: reports no anemia, bleeding or bruising.

LYMPHATICS: denies enlarged nodes and  history of splenectomy.

PSYCHIATRIC: reports no depression or anxiety.

ENDOCRINOLOGIC:  No reports of sweating, cold or heat intolerance. No polyuria or polydipsia.

ALLERGIES:  Denies history of asthma, hives, eczema, or rhinitis.

O.

Physical exam:

Temp 98.6 F, Pulse 60, respirations 20and non labored. SPO2 100% on room air, BP 125/78mmhg. Weight 136 lbs, H5’8’’

Diagnostic tests:

CT scan, MRI, and Xray.

Blood Tests:

CBC (inflammation and infection screening), Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate(Inflammation screening) , Uric Acid (rule out gout), Rheumatoid Factor (rheumatoid factor)

Differential Diagnoses

1. Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome .The  main cardinal feature of pain around anterior knee that worsens with descending stairs , squatting , and bending knee during weight bearing activities(Gaitonde, 2019).
2. Patellar dislocation or Fracture . The main feature of this diagnosis is that occurs mostly in adults younger than 20 years old and accounts for more than 93% of the cases. It is usually the result of trauma or twisting tibia during physical activities(Ball, 2019), (Thijie,2019).
3. Bursitis .It is an inflammation of the bursa that results in tenderness of the knee and knee pain. (Daines et al., 2019).
4.  Chondromalacia Patella(Runner’s knee) is a disease of the hyaline cartilage coating of the articular surfaces of the bone (Habusta et aal, 2019).

1. Osgood-Schlatter Disease (OSD) – A condition in which the patellar ligament insertion on the tibial tuberosity ends up inflamed (Vaishya et al., 2018).

References

Gaitonde, D. Y., Ericksen, A., & Robbins, R. C. (2019). Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome. American family

                    physician, 99(2), 88–94.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30633480/

Ball, J. W., Dains, J. E., Flynn, J. A., Solomon, B. S., & Stewart, R. W. (2019)

Seidel’s guide to physical examination: An interprofessional approach

(9th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Mosby.

ten Thije, J. H., &Frima, A. J. (2019). Patellar dislocation and osteochondral fractures. The Netherlands journal of surgery, 38(5), 150–154.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3774187/

Dains, J. E., Baumann, L. C., &Scheibel, P. (2016). Advanced health assessment and clinical diagnosis in primary care (5th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Mosby.

Habusta, S., Coffey. R, Ponnarasu S, et al.(2022) Chondromalacia Patella.

Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459195/

Vaishya R, Azizi A, Agarwal A, et al.(2018) Apophysitis of the Tibial Tuberosity

doi:10.7759/cureus.780

S.

CC (chief complaint): “Lower back pain.”

HPI: D.T. is a 42-year-old Caucasian male with a chief complaint of lower back pain. He reports that the lower back pain began a month ago. He describes the pain as ‘stabbing’ and often radiates to his left leg. He reports that the pain sometimes causes numbness and weakness in the left leg. The low back pain is constant but worsens with activity, prolonged sitting, and bending. The patient has used OTC analgesic creams and Tylenol, which relieve the pain to some degree but recurs after some hours. He is concerned that the back pain may be long-term since it has already lasted a month. This will significantly interfere with his daily work activities. He rates the pain at 5/10.

Current Medications: OTC Diclofenac cream, applies twice daily. OTC Tylenol 500 mg TDS.

Allergies: Allergic to nuts- causes skin itching, redness, and swelling. No drug allergies.

PMHx: The patient has no history of chronic illnesses or admission. His immunization is not up to date. The last Flu shot was more than three years ago. Last TT- July 2018. He has received both Pfizer COVID-19 shots.

Soc Hx: D.T. is a lab technologist with a degree in Analytical chemistry. He is married and lives with his wife and two children, 15 and 10 years old. His hobbies include playing baseball and fishing. He is the captain of the baseball team in his organization. He denies smoking tobacco but reports taking a few whiskey glasses on weekends to wind up. He also denies any past or current substance use. The patient states that he is generally physically fit since he attends baseball practice 2-3 times a week. In addition, he eats balanced meals with a high composition of proteins and vegetables. He sleeps 5-6 hours a day. D.T. has private health insurance cover that also covers his family and is provided by his employer.

Fam Hx: The patient’s paternal grandfather died from prostate cancer at 82 years. His paternal grandmother died from an RTA at 85 years. His father has a history of high blood pressure. His younger brother has chronic asthma. The patient’s children have no chronic illnesses.

ROS:

GENERAL:  He denies fever, weight changes, or generalized body weakness.

HEENT:  Eyes:  Denies eye pain, excessive tearing, or blurred vision. Ears: Denies changes in hearing or ear pain. Nose: Denies nasal discharge, sneezing, or nose bleeds. Throat: Denies throat pain or hoarseness.

SKIN:  Negative for skin rash, discoloration, or bruises.

CARDIOVASCULAR:  Negative for palpitations, chest tightness, swelling of lower limbs, or SOB on activity.

RESPIRATORY:  He denies difficulties in breathing, cough, wheezing, or sputum.

GASTROINTESTINAL:  He denies abdominal distress or changes in bowels.

GENITOURINARY:  Denies urinary symptoms of penile discharge.

NEUROLOGICAL: Reports numbness and weakness in the left leg. Denies dizziness or loss of consciousness.

MUSCULOSKELETAL:  Reports lower back pain and left leg pain. Limited ROM on the left leg because of pain.

HEMATOLOGIC:  He denies bruising or a history of anemia.

LYMPHATICS:  Denies swelling of lymph nodes.

PSYCHIATRIC:  Reports increased stress due to prolonged back pain.

ENDOCRINOLOGIC:  Denies excessive sweating, heat and cold intolerance, excessive thirst or hunger, or increased urination.

ALLERGIES:  Hives when he eats nuts.

O.

Physical exam:

Vital Signs: BP- 122/78; HR- 86; RR-16; Temp-98.4; SPO2- 100%; HT-5’5; WT-167; BMI-27.8

GENERAL: White male patient in his 40s. The patient is calm and in no distress. He is well-groomed and appropriately dressed in casual wear. He exhibits positive facial expressions and body language. His speech is clear and goal-directed, with normal volume and rate.

CARDIOVASCULAR: Regular heart rate and rhythm.S1 and S2 are heard on auscultation. No gallop sounds or murmurs were heard.

RESPIRATORY: Smooth and even respirations. Symmetrical chest wall expansion. Lungs clear bilaterally.

NEUROLOGICAL: CN II – XII are intact; DTRs 2+ on the right leg and 1+ on the left leg. Normal sensation in the right foot; Reduced sensation in the left foot. Muscle strength 5/5 (right lower limb) 3/5 (left lower limb)

MUSCULOSKELETAL: Torso and head are upright. Normal balance