Background: Abdominal pain is associated with a variety of medical conditions and cared for by medical providers. But a commonly forgotten source of abdominal pain is musculoskeletal origin, which patients are rarely referred to physical therapists for. The purpose of this case report is to highlight diagnostic tests appropriate for assessing patients with abdominal pain and to discuss their clinical relevance. Case Description: A 68-year-old male presented to physical therapy with a history of chronic right lower quadrant (RLQ) pain that began 25 years ago. Objective tests and the patient’s history were used to screen for red flags and need for referral. When the patient was deemed appropriate for physical therapy, treatment was initiated. Interventions: Interventions consisted of soft tissue mobilization, lower extremity strengthening, and trunk stretching. Outcome: After 13 sessions over the course of six weeks the patient reported 40% improvement since starting therapy and their numerical pain rating scale (NPRS) changed from an 8/10 to a 6/10 meeting the criteria for minimal clinically important difference (MCID) for an individual with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Discussion: The special tests used in this case report have limited use in generating meaningful shifts in probability for diagnosis. Objective testing for abdominal pain remains narrow, and most tests focus on appendicitis with little regard to other visceral pathology. Clinicians should continue to use special tests in combination with a patient’s subjective history to create their clinical picture. Further research is needed to assess the significance of these tests when clustered together.
Dissertation
Determining Appropriateness for Treatment in Physical Therapy: A Case Report on a Patient with Chronic Abdominal Pain
University of Iowa
Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) , University of Iowa
Autumn 2022
Free to read and download, Open Access
Abstract
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Determining Appropriateness for Treatment in Physical Therapy: A Case Report on a Patient with Chronic Abdominal Pain
- Creators
- Megan Stitz - University of Iowa
- Contributors
- Laura Frey-Law (Advisor) - University of IowaMichael Petrie (Advisor) - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Project Type
- Case Report
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) , University of Iowa
- Degree in
- Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Science
- Date degree season
- Autumn 2022
- Publisher
- University of Iowa
- Number of pages
- 12 pages
- Copyright
- Copyright © 2022 Megan Stitz
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Doctor of Physical Therapy Case Reports
- Record Identifier
- 9984560350602771
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