Abstract
A patient with low back pain and suspected movement coordination impairments was seen for physical therapy treatment for 12 sessions in an outpatient clinic. A student physical therapist provided the treatment under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist. At the initial encounter, the patient was evaluated with the Numeric Pain Rating Scale, manual muscle tests, goniometric measurements, the Fear Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire, Oswestry Disability Index, and the Prone Instability Test, and a plan of care was established. He was shown to have pain with movement, strength and muscle length deficits, hypomobile and painful vertebral segments, poor motor control and lifting technique, lumbar instability, pain with sprinting, and inability to complete football practice responsibilities. The main goals for the patient were to decrease pain and improve strength, muscle length, segmental mobility, motor control, lifting mechanics, and sprinting tolerance to facilitate return to football practice responsibilities. The main interventions used were lumbar stabilization exercises, manual therapy, regional interdependence techniques, and task-specific training. The patient experienced decreased pain and improved muscle length, segmental mobility, motor control, lifting mechanics and sprinting tolerance. He was unable to complete all football practice duties. The patient was discharged to continue living at home with a home exercise program to continue working toward full participation during football practice.