A physical therapist is developing an intervention plan for a patient with an extension preference who meets the criteria for the Specific Exercise: Extension classification subgroup. Which intervention would most likely not be included in an evidence-based plan of care?  

Case Study: Carol, a 31-year-old female, presents to therapy with sharp pain in the right lower back radiating into the right calf. She reports that the pain began suddenly two weeks ago after lifting her dog into the bathtub. The pain is constant at 3/10 and increases to 6/10 with movements such as turning over in bed, transitioning from sitting to standing, or bending forward. Carol performs the following special test below, and is unable to perform without her spine raising off the table. What impairment(s) does this patient have based on the special test that is described?  (Two side-by-side photographs demonstrating a lower-extremity lowering movement or examination procedure. A patient is lying supine on a treatment table while a clinician assists with the movement.)

____________________ are created in order to build theories about how variables are interrelated. The information represented helps the analyst understand how the relationships and significant events can be a cause of a problem as well as lead to a solution. [BLANK-1]

A 27-year-old patient comes into the clinic with a chief complaint of LBP. She states that she has been having pain more frequently since starting school as she is a PT student and has been studying a lot more. She states that her pain is localized to the low back. Her pain is worse with sitting for prolonged periods of time at the desk studying (>60′) or driving (>1.5 hours). She notes that her pain will go away when she is out of this position. She denies any other pain with any other motions throughout the subjective examination and objective examination. Based on MDT syndromes, what does she most likely present with?

A physical therapist (PT) evaluates a patient with a lumbar radiculopathy. During the neurological examination, the PT notes the patient has fatigable weakness with testing the patient’s big toe extension. What other motion could the PT test to determine whether the weakness is truly myotome weakness?

A 55-year-old male has a chief complaint of chronic right-sided low back pain that has occurred in the last 3 weeks. He reports that the pain is worst when he stands for long periods of time, sleeping on his back with his knees extended, and walking long distances with his dog. Symptoms of low back pain improve when he sits immediately. PT examination finds ROM deficits and tenderness to palpation at the lower lumbar segments with mobilization. Based on this information alone, what interventions are the most evidence-based, considering the patient’s diagnosis?

Centralization can occur in which of the following MDT syndromes?

Patient Case: A 58-year-old patient reports stiffness and aching in the lower back that is worse in the morning and after prolonged activity. The pain is primarily localized to the lumbar region. The patient notes difficulty standing fully upright after sitting for extended periods, and describes relief with short periods of rest. On examination, lumbar extension reproduces their symptoms, segmental mobility testing reveals hypomobility, and no centralization occurs with repeated movement testing. Neurological screening is unremarkable. Why does extension reproduce this patient’s symptoms?

Case Study: Chris, a 55-year-old male, presents for his first physical therapy visit for lower back pain. He reports a 15-year history of recurring low back symptoms following a traumatic car accident in 2001. Chris expresses doubt that therapy will help, but his physician recommended it before another pain injection or potential surgery. He avoids exercise, noting that nearly all movements increase his pain to 6/10 on the VAS. His pain is typically diffuse across the lumbar region and occasionally radiates into the buttocks when straining or lifting objects over 10 pounds. Significant guarding is observed with bending and extension movements due to pain, and the PT identifies myospasm in the paraspinal and rectus abdominis muscles during objective assessment. Which outcome measure would BEST provide insight into his psychosocial factors and pain-related beliefs?

A treating physical therapist is attempting to stretch the quadratus lumborum for a patient with unilateral low back pain. Which of the following anatomical landmarks is the origin of this muscle?