Writting treatment plans with pathology (student need of help)

Hi
I am a second year student and just about to sit my neuro written exam. For one of our questions we have to put together a treatment plan, then progressing the patient we have to link with the pathology of why its helping. Please can any one suggestions or resources or even have practice papers they have constructed that i may use.:(

Regards Kat

Well for each pathology there will be clinical features. To be honest they will probably ask you about stroke so if you take stroke for example, they will have hypertonus (spasticity) in elbow wrist and hand and some at the shoulder. That side will also be weak. In the lower limb, there will be dense hemiplegia possibly and therefore it will be weak. Then they might have increased plantarflexor and inverter tone. So you will do stretches to get them out of the patterns and positioning to reduce tone. You will do active assisted exercises progressing to active exercises etc to get muscle recruitment and strengthening. A long winded explanation but hope you see where I'm going. Good luck in the exam

Hi
Here is a resource i found for students of pathology
Pathology for Students - Welcome to Pathology for students

There is a place there you can get help for things related to the study of pathology

Hope this helps

Hi
Our written was on Stroke :). I assume they would base the exam on the neurological condition you have covered in your second year ie Stroke/MS/Parkinsons. In Stroke I would look at primary, secondary deficits, you can then link the pathology directly to your treatment. for example -

Stroke Pathology - Primary deficit - Weakness/Changes in tone.
Secondary deficit - Muscle shortening/joint stiffness.

Using this you can justify your treatments ie: Muscle strengthening or Splinting for contracture management.

Also staging of Treatment, Preparation, Activation, Function, Carryover.
Stroke Pathology - bear aware of biochemical cascade (ie damage that continues to occur after initial insult) and neuroplasticity (again link this directly to your treatment).
You could measure the carry over/ROM etc which would (Important to use outcome measures and goals!!!) then allow you to adjust/ treat accordingly. Also in the early stages position management/chest /limb protection/neglect are key (if it is stroke you are covering). So bear this in mind as they may say your patient is 2 days/2 weeks/ 2 months after they have had a stroke.

Hope this helps.
Karen

Haha, I've just realised this thread is two years old, oh well :)