Abstract
A 65-year-old patient with chronic low back pain was seen for 16 sessions over a two-month period at an outpatient orthopedic physical therapy clinic. Physical therapy treatments were provided by a physical therapist student under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist. The patient was evaluated at the initial encounter using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale, inclinometry and goniometry, Oswestry Disability Index, Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire, and patient report. A plan of care was established to address impairments such as pain and decreased active range of motion that limited the patient’s ability to perform activities of daily living such as sitting, walking, sleeping, and driving. These impairments and activity limitations restricted this individual’s participatory roles regarding work and taking care of his mother. The main physical therapy goals were to decrease pain, improve activities of daily living, reduce fear-avoidant behaviors, perform on-site visits for work, and take his mother to medical appointments. The interventions utilized were pain neuroscience education and therapeutic exercise. On discharge, the patient achieved improvements in pain and ability to perform activities of daily living. The patient also demonstrated a reduction in fear-avoidant behaviors. The patient was discharged home with a home exercise program.