Objective Assessment Flashcards
What things are tested in objective assessment?
- posture
- ROM
- muscle strength
- muscle length
- neurological tests
- palpation
- functional ability
Subjective observations to make on initial contact
- age
- gender
- build
- walking aids
- glasses/hearing aids
- facial expressions (e.g pain)
- posture
- involuntary movements
- speech behaviour
- gait
What does good posture allow?
function and most efficient movement to occur
What does postural dysfunction lead to
altered loading which leads to increased risk of pain and injury with increased effort of movement
What can affect posture?
- pain
- fatigue
- strength
- ROM
- muscle stiffness
- emotions
- occupation
- hobbies
- age
- maternity
- handedness
What is the ideal alignment?
Plumbline
What are soft tissue observations that can be made?
- colour and texture of skin
- presence of scars
- abnormal skin creases
- swelling
- calluses
- muscle bulk
What do you look for with active ROM?
Quality of movements
- Are there compensations?
- Is the movement well controlled?
What do you look for with passive ROM?
no or minimal muscle activity
Why do we measure ROM?
helps with clinical reasoning and allows progress/deterioration to be observed
How is ROM measured?
goniometry, visual estimation, tape measure
Contraindications of measuring ROM
- interruption of healing process
- suspected fracture, dislocation or subluxation
- suspected myositis ossificans or ectopic ossification
Cautions when measuring ROM
- pain
- inflammation
- medications for pain
- osteoporosis
- hyper mobility
- haemophilia
- in region of heamatoma
- soft tissue disruption
- recently healed fracture
- prolonged immobilisation
What must be considered when assessing ROM
- passive and active insufficiency
- muscle lag
- contracture
what is passive insufficiency?
shortness of a biarticular muscle meaning its length cannot allow normal elongation over both joints simultaneously
