Date of Award

2010

Document Type

Scholarly Project

Degree Name

Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)

Department

Physical Therapy

First Advisor

Mark Romanick

Keywords

Low Back Pain -- therapy; Case Reports

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Low back pain (LBP) is very prevalent in the general population. It is estimated that 79% of the population will experience low back pain during a lifetime. The purpose of this case report is to elaborate on the importance of traditional physical therapy interventions and to introduce the use of a new technique: primal reflex release technique (PRRT) in the treatment of LBP.

Case Description: The client was a 74-year-old female with history of multiple falls resulting in a vertebral fracture that was reduced by a kyphoplasty. Her chief complaints were pain in the T12 - L1 spinal level, resulting in decreased functional mobility.

Intervention: Treatment included Electrical stimulation, ultrasound, PRRT, exercises to increase mobility and strength, manual therapy and massage.

Outcomes: The patient was treated over a six week period, for 12 visits of 30-45minutes per treatment. At discharge, the patient’s pain rating on the visual analog scale decreased from 7/10 at initial evaluation to 0-2/10 with activities.

Discussion: The benefit of traditional physical therapy in treating LBP remains strong. Interventions such as massage and strengthening exercises have been proven in various literatures to be effective in the managing LBP. PRRT also benefited the patient in managing her pain symptoms however, there is much to be learned about this emerging technique. Future research to substantiate the effects of this technique is also indicated.

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