Abstract
A 55-year-old male package delivery worker with acute left-sided low back pain and left upper buttock pain was seen for physical therapy treatment for 12 sessions over a 6-week period at an outpatient physical therapy clinic. The patient received treatment from a physical therapist student under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist. The patient was examined at the initial encounter with the Numeric Pain Rating Scale, double inclinometry, manual muscle testing, passive accessory intervertebral motion testing, the Straight Leg Raise test, the Oswestry Disability Index, and the Fear Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire. A plan of care was established to address his decreased lumbar range of motion with pain, decreased strength in the trunk and hip musculature, and limitations in lifting, pushing, and pulling packages to be able to work without limitations and participate in sports. Main goals for the patient were to be able to complete his work duties as a package delivery worker without restrictions and participate in his recreational basketball league. The Treatment Based Classification approach was used as a guiding principle for the interventions. Interventions included manual therapy, therapeutic exercise, and graded-task specific training. On discharge, he achieved goals related to improving pain, increasing lumbar range of motion, increasing trunk and hip musculature strength, thereby allowing him to perform his full duties as a package delivery worker and return to playing recreational basketball. The patient was discharged from physical therapy to continue living at home with a home exercise program.