Seção 3: histórico do paciente Ir para: navegação, pesquisa

International Framework for Examination of the Cervical Region

In line with the emphasis on clinical reasoning, it is essential that the patient history is used to establish and test hypotheses related to potential adverse events of OMT. It is important to understand that there are very limited diagnostic utility data related to many factors considered here. Therefore, the physical therapist’s aim during the patient history is to make the best judgment on the probability of serious pathology and contraindications to treatment based on available information.

Many red flags which contraindicate or limit OMT treatment manifest in an obvious way in the patient presentation^[1], such as:

Contraindications to OMT interventions:

• Multi-level nerve root pathology
• Worsening neurological function
• Unremitting, severe, non-mechanical pain
• Unremitting night pain (preventing patient from falling asleep)
• Relevant recent trauma
• Upper motor neuron lesions
• Spinal cord damage
• And the features detailed in Differentiation below

Precautions to OMT interventions:

• Local infection
• Inflammatory disease
• Active cancer
• History of cancer
• Long-term steroid use
• Osteoporosis
• Systemically unwell
• Hypermobility syndromes
• Connective tissue disease
• A first sudden episode before age 18 or after age 55
• Cervical anomalies
• Throat infections in children
• Recent manipulation by another health professional

However, there are serious conditions which may mimic musculoskeletal dysfunction in the early stages of their pathological progression:

• CAD (e.g. vertebrobasilar insufficiency due to dissection)^[2]
• Upper cervical instability^[3], that could compromise the vascular and neurological structures.

A patient experiencing, for example pain from one of these presentations may seek OMT for the relief of the pain^[4][5]. It is therefore important that the subtle symptoms of these pathologies are recognised in the patient history. It is also important to recognise risk factors indicating a potential for neuro-vascular pathology. Information is given below to highlight the key components of the patient history in this context.

Cervical arterial dysfunction

The following risk factors are associated with an increased risk of either internal carotid or vertebrobasilar arterial pathology and should be thoroughly assessed during the patient history^[6][2]:

• Past history of trauma to cervical spine / cervical vessels
• History of migraine-type headache
• Hypertension
• Hypercholesterolemia / hyperlipidemia
• Cardiac disease, vascular disease, previous cerebrovascular accident or transient ischaemic attack
• Diabetes mellitus
• Blood clotting disorders / alterations in blood properties (e.g. hyperhomocysteinemia)
• Anticoagulant therapy
• Long-term use of steroids
• History of smoking
• Recent infection
• Immediately post partum
• Trivial head or neck trauma^[7][8]
• Absence of a plausible mechanical explanation for the patient’s symptoms.

Upper cervical instability

The following risk factors are associated with the potential for bony or ligamentous compromise of the upper cervical spine^[9]:

• History of trauma (e.g. whiplash, rugby neck injury)
• Throat infection
• Congenital collagenous compromise (e.g. syndromes: Down’s, Ehlers-Danlos, Grisel, Morquio)
• Inflammatory arthritides (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis)
• Recent neck/head/dental surgery.

Signs and symptoms of serious pathology and contraindications / precautions to treatment may manifest during the patient history stage of assessment. This is an opportunity to observe and recognise possible red flag indicators such as gait disturbances, subtle signs of disequilibrium, upper motor neuron signs, cranial nerve dysfunction, and behaviour suggestive of upper cervical instability (e.g. anxiety, supporting head/neck) early in the clinical encounter.

It is important to consider the above information in the context of the aforementioned risk factors.

Common vertebral artery dissection

Case:

A 46 year-old female supermarket worker presented to physical therapy with left-sided head (occipital) and neck pain described as “unusual”. She reported a 6 day history of the symptoms following a road traffic accident. The symptoms were progressively worsening. The pain was eased by rest. She reported a history of previous road traffic accidents. Past medical history included hypertension, high cholesterol, and a maternal family history of heart disease and stroke. Cranial nerve tests for VIII, IX, and X were positive and resting blood pressure was 170/110. Two days after assessment, the patient reported an onset of new symptoms including “feels like might be sick”, “throaty” and “feels faint” – especially after performing prescribed neck exercises. Two days after this, she reported a stronger feeling of nausea, loss of balance, swallowing difficulties, speech difficulties and acute loss of memory. Magnetic resonance arteriography revealed an acute hindbrain stroke related to a left vertebral (extra-cranial) artery dissection.

Synopsis:

A typical background of vascular risk factors and trauma, together with a classic pain distribution for vertebral arterial somatic pain which was worsening. Positive signs (blood pressure and cranial nerve dysfunction) were suggestive of cervical vascular pathology. Signs of hindbrain ischaemia developed in a typical time period post-trauma.

Vertebral artery with pain as the only clinical feature

Case:

A friend presents to a physical therapist with a sore neck and unremitting headache. The individual complains that they “think” their “neck is out”. They ask if they can have their neck manipulated to “put it back in”. The headache has been present for 3-4 days and is getting worse. They note that the pain has been unrelieved by medication (paracetamol) and it appears to be of a mechanical presentation. Without taking a full history and carrying out a physical examination, the physical therapist goes ahead and manipulates the neck. The result was the individual experiencing numbness and paralysis to their left arm and hand.

Synopsis:

Investigation post incident identified an intimal tear of the vertebral artery. The key issue in this case is that the presentation was not fully assessed through a detailed history and physical examination. The warning feature from the history of worsening pain, unrelieved by medication, combined with an inadequate physical examination and limited clinical reasoning, all contributed to an unfortunate and probably avoidable outcome.

Internal carotid artery dissection

Case:

A 42 year-old accountant presents to physical therapy with a 5 day history of unilateral neck and jaw pain, as well as temporal headache, following a rear-end motor vehicle collision. There is a movement restriction of the neck and the physical therapist begins to treat with gentle passive joint mobilisations, and advises range of movement exercises. The following day, the patient’s pain is worse, and he has developed an ipsilateral ptosis. The patient’s blood pressure is unusually high.

Synopsis:

On medical investigation, an extra-cranial dissection of the internal carotid artery was found. The patient had underlying risk factors for arterial disease, and the presentation was typical of internal carotid artery dissection, with a key differentiator being the ptosis. A dramatic systemic blood pressure response was a result of this vascular insult.

Further examples of similar cases can be found in the literature

^{[12][13][14][15][16][17][6][18][19][20][21][10][22][23]}

1. ↑ Moore A, Jackson A, Jordan J, et al (2005). Clinical guidelines for the physiotherapy management of whiplash associated disorder. Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, London.
2. ↑ ^2.02.12.2 Kerry R, Taylor AJ, Mitchell JM, et al (2008). Cervical arterial dysfunction and manual therapy: A critical literature review to inform professional practice. Manual Therapy 13(4):278-288.
3. ↑ Niere KR, Torney SK (2004) Clinicians’ perceptions of minor cervical instability. Manual Therapy 9(3):144-150.
4. ↑ Murphy DR (2010). Current understanding of the relationship between cervical manipulation and stroke: what does it mean for the chiropractic profession? Chiropractic and Osteopathy 18:22.
5. ↑ Taylor AJ, Kerry R (2010). A ‘system based’ approach to risk assessment of the cervical spine prior to manual therapy. International Journal of Osteopathic Medicine 13:85-93
6. ↑ ^6.06.16.2 Arnold M, Bousser MG (2005). Carotid and vertebral dissection. Practical Neurology 5:100-109.
7. ↑ Haneline M, Lewkovich G (2004). Identification of internal carotid artery dissection in chiropractic practice. J Can Chiropr Assoc 48(3):206-10.
8. ↑ Thomas LC, Rivett DA, Attia JR, et al (2011). Risk factors and clinical features of craniocervical arterial dissection. Manual Therapy 16(4):351-356.
9. ↑ Cook C, Brismee JM, Fleming R, et al (2005). Identifiers suggestive of clinical cervical spine instability: a Delphi study of physical therapists. Physical Therapy 85(9):895-906.
10. ↑ ^10.010.1 Arnold M, Bousser G, Fahrni G, et al (2006). Vertebral Artery Dissection Presenting Findings and Predictors of Outcome. Stroke 37:2499-2503.
11. ↑ Kerry R (2011). Examination of the Upper Cervical Region, Chapter 6, in: Petty NJ (Ed), Neuromusculoskeletal examination and assessment: a handbook for therapists, 4th Edn. Churchill Livingstone, Elsevier, Edinburgh.
12. ↑ Biousse V, D’Anglejan-Chatillon J, Massiou H (1994). Head pain in non-traumatic artery dissection: a series of 65 patients. Cephalalgia 14:33-36.
13. ↑ Lemesle M, Beuriat P, Becker F, et al (1998). Head pain associated with sixth-nerve palsy: spontaneous dissection of the internal carotid artery. Cephalalgia 18:112-114.
14. ↑ Crum B, Mokri B, Fulgham J (2000). Spinal manifestations of vertebral artery dissection. Neurology 55:302-306.
15. ↑ Zetterling M, Carlstrom C, Konrad P (2000). Internal carotid artery dissection. Acta Neurologica Scandinavica 101:1-7.
16. ↑ Chan CCK, Paine M, O’Day J (2001). Carotid dissection: a common cause of Horner’s syndrome. Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology 29:411-415.
17. ↑ Caplan LR, Biousse V (2004). Cervicocranial arterial dissections. Journal of Neuroophthalmology 24:299-305.
18. ↑ Asavasopon S, Jankoski J, Godges JJ (2005). Clinical diagnosis of vertebrobasilar insufficiency: resident’s case problem. Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy 35:645-650.
19. ↑ Rogalewski A, Evers S (2005). Symptomatic hemicrania continua after internal carotid artery dissection. Headache 45:167-169.
20. ↑ Taylor AJ, Kerry R (2005). Neck pain and headache as a result of internal carotid artery dissection: implications for manual therapists – case report. Manual Therapy 10:73-77
21. ↑ Thanvi B, Munshi SK, Dawson SL, et al (2005). Carotid and vertebral artery dissection syndromes. Postgraduate Medical Journal 81(956):383-8.
22. ↑ Debette S, Leys D (2009). Cervical-artery dissections: predisposing factors, diagnosis, and outcome. Lancet Neurology 8(7):668-78.
23. ↑ Kerry R, Taylor AJ (2009). Cervical arterial dysfunction: knowledge and reasoning for manual physical therapists. Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy 39(5):378-387.