NURS 680B Week 3 Discussion Advanced Health/Physical Assessment
NURS 680B Week 3 Discussion Advanced Health/Physical Assessment
NURS 680B Week 3 Discussion Advanced Health/Physical Assessment
Select one of the following case studies to address. In the subject line of your post, please identify which prompt you are responding to, for example, choice #2 19-year old male.
A 62-year old female complains of pain over several finger joints over bilateral hands that is “getting worse” to the point that she is no longer able to work in her garden.
A 38-year old male construction worker complains of severe pain to his right lower back. States he woke up with the pain after an especially difficult work day.
A 58-year old obese man complains of pain in his left knee. The pain seems to be unrelenting, he says it is better when he rests, but gets stiff when he rests too long.
For the case you have chosen, post to the discussion:
Discuss what questions you would ask the patient, what physical exam elements you would include, and what further testing you would want to have performed.
In SOAP format, list:
Pertinent positive and negative information
Differential and working diagnosis
Treatment plan, including: pharmacotherapy with complementary and OTC therapy, diagnostics (labs and testing), health education and lifestyle changes, age-appropriate preventive care, and follow-up to this visit.
Use at least one scholarly source other than your textbook to connect your response to national guidelines and evidence-based research in support of your ideas.
In your peer replies, please reply to at least one peer who chose a different case study.
Got aches? You’re in good company. Around 100 million Americans have some sort of chronic pain, meaning the long-term kind that sticks around after an injury or illness. And millions more have from short-term (acute) pain.
Some types are more common during certain times of your life. “Knowing that may help you be ready for them, and sometimes even avoid irritation or injury in the first place,” says Jonathan L. Glashow, MD, chief of sports medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City.
Here are seven types of pain you need to know about and tips to manage them.
1. Lower Back Pain
It’s the most common type of chronic pain in America.
“If you’re under 50 and haven’t had a back injury, your back pain is likely the result of sitting for long stretches. That puts too much pressure on the discs in your back,” says Robert Fay, PT, owner of Armonk Physical Therapy and Sports Training in New York.
Ease the ache: Strength-training and cardio exercise are both helpful. “They increase blood flow, and help you build your core muscles, which support your spine. And that reduces pressure,” Fay says. Start slow and see a pro if you’re not sure what exercises to do.
Physical therapy is another option. Your therapist can show you exercises that may help you move better and relieve pain. Over-the-counter medicines like acetaminophen and ibuprofen may also help, though you shouldn’t use them for more than a few days without your doctor’s OK.
Call your doctor if you have severe back pain or if you’ve been hurting for more than a week.
2. Headaches
Regular ones and migraines — a type of headache that may cause other symptoms, like nausea — are the second most common type of chronic pain.