Tuesday, July 31, 2007

What we should look when examining movements of spine?

The movements at the spinal joints are a part fo a routine clinical examination, however, what are the things to be noticed during checking them?
I have enumerated the following points which I feel are important, comments and additions are welcome.

SUBJECTIVE:

* Pain during movements
flexion -- think of prolapsed disc
extension -- think of facetal arthropathy

*Feeling of giving way
Think of instability in lumbar spine

OBJECTIVE:

*Range of motion
Important to record and document to asseess severity and then to assess progress

*Rhythm
Any deviation from normal rythm during flexion and extension such as jerky movements and
extension catch are indicative of instability.

*Schober's or modified Schober's test
To diffentiate between organic and functional disease of lumbar spine









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