We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
(REH12) Management of Low Back Pain for Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis: A Case Series.
- Authors
Barksdale, Heather; Sugden, Joseph
- Abstract
Background: Individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) are often referred to a physical therapist (PT) for evaluation of immobility, pain, and functional impairment. These individuals may be referred during the diagnosis process, a relapse, or while clinically stable. Self-reported pain symptoms for individuals with MS can also be multifactorial and originate from several areas including symptoms of central, peripheral, orthopedic, or a combination of these origins. Therefore, the underlying diagnosis of MS may complicate the evaluation, treatment plan, and progression for individuals with MS presenting with orthopedic complaints, including low back pain (LBP). This retrospective case series presents 4 cases of individuals with MS who were referred to physical therapy who also reported symptoms of LBP. Objectives: 1) Identify special considerations for evaluation techniques, treatment modifications, and progression modifications specific to individuals with MS and LBP. 2) Initiate guidelines that should be considered when establishing a plan of care for similar individuals with MS to establish the most effective approach for functional improvement or stability. Methods: All charts reviewed included subjects who attended the UF Health Jacksonville outpatient rehabilitation downtown location and were seen by the participating PTs from January 2018 through August 2019. Of the charts reviewed, 4 satisfied inclusion-exclusion criteria and are reviewed here. Charts were reviewed for PT plan of care, pain reports, and functional measures. Results: In each case, subjects reported improvement or resolution in pain measures and also demonstrated improvement in functional measures examined. Specific interventions and functional measures were tailored for each patient and were found to vary due to individual differences in clinical presentation and differences in response to a given intervention. Conclusions: The variability between subject presentation and complexity for individuals with LBP and underlying MS diagnosis were found to result in noted variance in treatment duration and approach between subjects. This points to the importance of thorough initial evaluation to include both neurologic and orthopedic standard of care. The evaluation ensures an appropriate plan of care for individualized treatment as well as identification of potential barriers to progression of treatment. As MS is a progressive condition, it is important to educate and train patients in ways to self-manage their musculoskeletal pain and functional deficits once an appropriate treatment plan has been established. Further research is needed to establish specific outcome measures and screening tools to identify individuals who will best benefit from outpatient physical therapy directed toward the impairment of LBP. The types of assessments and treatments reviewed in these cases may facilitate improved identification and standardization for these individuals.
- Subjects
MULTIPLE sclerosis diagnosis; CONFERENCES &; conventions; PAIN management; LUMBAR pain
- Publication
International Journal of MS Care, 2020, Vol 22, Issue S2, p72
- ISSN
1537-2073
- Publication type
Article