Male, 40 years old, reports low back pain in the middle of the back near waist. The patient has had similar symptoms before, numbness and tingling sensation in the right foot. Both parents have hypercholesterolemia while his 65-year-old father has prostate cancer. The patient skips breakfast and eats at fast food restaurants twice every day. He uses 800mg of Ibuprofen every four hours. He does not have urinary or bowel incontinence. No nausea, vomiting, or fever and there is no gross hematuria. However, he denies abdominal pain and pain with urination. He is allergic to Penicillin.
Objective Data
The patient has decreased strength of right leg with resisted extension on the lower extremities and complains of pain in posterior thigh. He has a light touch, pin prick, vibration, and position sensation with decreased sensation of right leg along L5. The reflexes include DTRs 2+ in upper and lower extremities. The heel-to-toe walking is steady.
Assessment
The patient is suffering from Sciatica whose …show more content…
Sciatica occurs on one side of the body, whereby in this case, it is the right side causing tingling, weakness, and numbness while patients may experience difficulties emptying their bladder. Risk factors include heavy lifting as well as lifting and twisting. The disorder is caused by repeated torsional loading as well as repeated microtrauma, which tears the annular fibers with migration of nuclear material causing nerve root compression or irritation.
Signs and Symptoms
The signs and symptoms of sciatica include mild to severe cramp-like pain that occurs suddenly. It is associated with sensations of tingling, needles, pins, weakness, and numbness. The pain radiates through the lower back, hip and down the back of one leg. The pain resolves after 4 to 8 weeks. Other symptoms include loss of bladder and bowel
Objective Data
The patient has decreased strength of right leg with resisted extension on the lower extremities and complains of pain in posterior thigh. He has a light touch, pin prick, vibration, and position sensation with decreased sensation of right leg along L5. The reflexes include DTRs 2+ in upper and lower extremities. The heel-to-toe walking is steady.
Assessment
The patient is suffering from Sciatica whose …show more content…
Sciatica occurs on one side of the body, whereby in this case, it is the right side causing tingling, weakness, and numbness while patients may experience difficulties emptying their bladder. Risk factors include heavy lifting as well as lifting and twisting. The disorder is caused by repeated torsional loading as well as repeated microtrauma, which tears the annular fibers with migration of nuclear material causing nerve root compression or irritation.
Signs and Symptoms
The signs and symptoms of sciatica include mild to severe cramp-like pain that occurs suddenly. It is associated with sensations of tingling, needles, pins, weakness, and numbness. The pain radiates through the lower back, hip and down the back of one leg. The pain resolves after 4 to 8 weeks. Other symptoms include loss of bladder and bowel