True or False: There is a high correlation between physical pathology and associated pain and
disability. - ✔✔False
There is little relationship between a patient's pathology and associated pain. Imaging tells us
very about simple backache.
Which of the following is NOT a potential pain generator in the lumbar spine?
A) muscles and ligaments
B) nerve roots
C) joints
D) fascia
E) none of the above - ✔✔E) none of the above
Muscles, ligaments, dura mater, nerve roots, zygapophyseal joints, SI joint, annulus fibrosis,
thoracolumbar fascia, and vertebrae are all potential pain generators.
A 23 yo patient is complaining of a band of pain down the back of her leg that she describes as
being a deep, shooting pain. This best describes which condition?
A) somatic pain
B) radicular pain
C) radiculopathy
,D) paresthesia - ✔✔B) radicular pain
Radicular pain is a sharp, shooting pain that can be either superficial or deep in a defined band
that is less than 4cm.
You suspect your patient has radiculopathy. Which of the following sets of symptoms led you to
that diagnosis?
A) shooting pain and muscle weakness
B) aching pain in a general area
C) numbness and deep, sharp pain
D) radiating paresthesia and muscle weakness - ✔✔D) radiating parasthesia and muscle
weakness
Radiculopathy is characterized by radiating paresthesia, numbness in a dermatome, weakness in
a myotome, BUT NOT PAIN.
A 45 yo patient is complaining about LBP. She describes the pain as being an aching pain all
over her lower back. She is most likely suffering from:
A) somatic pain
B) compressed nerve
C) radicular pain
, D) radiculopathy - ✔✔A) somatic pain
Somatic pain is poorly localized and is an aching pain.
Noncontractile tissue pain can be generator by all of the following except:
A) nerve root
B) muscles
C) joints
D) fascia
E) none of the above - ✔✔B) muscles
Examples of noncontracile pain generators: nerve roots, discogenic pain, zygapophyseal joints
(facet joint syndrome), SI joint, ligament and fascia, vertebrae
Patient presents with shooting leg pain that is due to an inflammed nerve root. This condition is
known as
A) annulus fibrosus
B) herniated disc
C) sciatica
D) facet joint syndrome - ✔✔C) sciatica