Date of Award

5-2021

Document Type

Thesis

Keywords

Lumbar disc derangement with radiculopathy, disc material, lateral shifts, McKenzie's Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT)

Abstract

Background and Purpose. This article summarizes the 6-week outpatient physical therapy management of a patient that experienced a lumbar disc derangement with radiculopathy in the right lower extremity. She experienced a decrease in function, range of motion, and strength following onset of symptoms. The purpose of this article is to outline the interventions utilized in this patient's plan of care in an attempt to return her to caring for children, full-time work, and daily exercise at her prior level of function.

Description. Patient was a 31 -year-old female with 3 children. She worked as a nurse full-time and reported exercising daily, prior to the onset of symptoms. Symptoms started after she lifted her 18-month-old out of a Pack n' Play. Initial symptoms included back pain, right lateral shift, and shooting pain down her right leg.

Interventions. Interventions during the six-week plan of care included various forms of therapeutic exercise, manual therapy, therapeutic activity, and electrical stimulation. Treatment aimed at improving initial range of motion and strength deficits identified during the initial evaluation.

Outcomes. This patient attended 15 treatment sessions over a span of six weeks. Following discharge, the patient had improved range of motion and strength. She was also able to return to work and child-care full-time and return to exercising daily with no restrictions.

Discussion. Rationale for treatment was based off textbook content on the McKenzie system of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy examination model and published resources on lumbar intervertebral disc orders on databases such as PubMed.

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