Study Guide Ch 1 Short Answer

Define differential diagnosis.

Includes all those possible diagnoses that have not been excluded by the examination process.

What 3 things must be included in a comprehensive examination model?

The justifiable inclusion or exclusion of each step, adaptability to the specific need of the situation, and the ability to rule in or rule out the possible differential diagnoses.

What is the importance of medical records?

It serves as a method of communicating the patients current medical disposition to all who read it.

Why is it important to examine the uninjured paired limb?

The uninjured body part provides an immediate reference point for comparison with the injured segment.

List the segments of the exam process and their purpose.

History-getting a general understanding about what happened and previous injuries 

Physical exam-identify activity limitations and underlying impairments through inspection, palpation, functional assessment, and joint and muscle assessment.

What is the difference between range of motion and manual muscle testing?

ROM testing is testing joint movement and MMT is used to assess for strength and provocation of pain by isolating muscles or groups of muscles.

What emergent conditions are assessed for in the immediate on field evaluation?

Cardiovascular and respiratory stress, life-threatening trauma to the head or spine, profuse bleeding, fractures, joint dislocations, peripheral nerve injury, soft tissue trauma.

What is included in a return to play functional assessment?

Strength and ROM, pain, proprioception, functional activity progression.