Abstract
A 63-year-old female patient with low back pain with movement coordination deficits was seen for student physical therapy treatment for 10 sessions over 11 weeks at an outpatient physical therapy clinic under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist.The patient was examined at the initial encounter with posture observation, straight leg raise test, manual muscle test, active range of motion, prone instability test, and low back disability measures. A plan of care was established to address pain, fear avoidance behaviors, weakness, and limitations in walking, bending, lifting, and gardening. Main goals for the patient were to return to gardening, walking within community, and have an improved level of pain. Main interventions used were spinal stabilization exercises, pain neuroscience education, and strengthening to the lumbopelvic region. The main goals achieved by the patient included improvement in overall pain level, improvement in lumbar range and quality of movement, return to community ambulation of 30 minutes with increased speed, and specific activity limitations such as standing intolerance, bending over, and cleaning. The patient was discharged to home with her partner and a comprehensive home exercise plan to continue independently.