3

• what is the numerical pain rating scale (NPRS)?

  validated pain rating scale related to the visual analogue scale and used for subjective measurement of pain
• what instruction should be given to a patient when asking them to give you a NPRS score?

  rate your pain on a scale of 0-10, where 0 is no pain and 10 is the worst pain imaginable
• what score range on NPRS represents mild pain?

  1-3
• what score range on NPRS represents moderate pain?

  4-6
• what score range on NPRS represents severe pain?

  7-10
• what are red flags ?

  red flags identify potentially serious conditions that require medical evaluation, which is extremely important when the patient presents to the chartered physiotherapist as a first point of contact for care
• what are yellow flags?

  they indicate psychosocial barriers to recovery that could result in long-term diasability and work loss in spinal injuries
• what is an example of yellow flags?

  stress, work obsession
• what is analgesia 


  pain relief
• what are the various uses of aspirin

  analgesia, blood thinner as a preventative measure against thrombosis for people with coronary artery disease
• what would a low dose of aspirin indicate as its function

  that it was being used as a preventative measure against thrombosis or myocardial infarction
• what is acute pain

  been present less than 6 weeks
• what is irritable pain

  once aggravated, pain doesn't go away
• how would a patient with severe, acute, irritable neck pain be pharmacologically managed?

  first line - paracetamol and NSAIDs

  second line - opiods , skeletal muscle relaxants
• what is mechanical (non-specific) neck pain ?

  pain that is not due to the presence of any underlying systematic pathology or serious structural pathology and instead occurs due to mechanical / postural factors
• what is the global prevalence of mechanical neck pain

  222.7 million
• what is the current evidence-based physiotherapy treatment for acute mechanical neck pain?

  massage, manual therapy, exercise and advice
• what forms of exercise could play a role in management of acute mechanical neck pain?

  local exercise - strengthening and stretching targeted towards neck and shoulder blade region

  cardiovascular fitness - reduce risk of recurrence
• what ergonomic advice could be given to patient with mechanical neck pain

  put laptop on docking station when sitting at a desk, use a PC
• what other healthcare professionals aside from physiotherapists would be involved in a case with severe neck pain?

  doctor, pharmacist