Abstract
A 72-year-old female patient with recurrent low back pain in the acute phase of recovery and unilateral radicular symptoms below the knee, was seen for student physical therapy treatment for 10 sessions in a 6-week period of outpatient therapy under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist. The patient was evaluated at the initial encounter with manual muscle testing, bubble inclinometry, repeated movement testing, straight leg raise, slump test, prone instability test, passive lumbar extension test, six minute walk test, FAIR test, lower extremity functional scale, Rolland-Morris disability questionnaire, and a plan of care was established. The patient’s main impairments were severe low back and leg pain which restricted her ability to perform yard work, recreate with her social group, and travel. The patient’s main goals were to decrease the intensity of her low back and leg pain, reduce the tingling in her leg, improve standing, walking, and sitting tolerance, and return to yard work. Primary interventions used were low back pain classification-matched trunk stabilization exercises along with education for posture, in the neuroscience of pain, and lifting training. The patient responded better than anticipated to physical therapy intervention and achieved a clinically meaningful decrease in low back and leg pain, an improvement in lower extremity strength, an increase in standing, and sitting tolerance, and a clinically meaningful improvement in walking endurance and in lower extremity and low back function. The patient was discharged to home with instructions for a home exercise program.