Clinical guide
To help the student understand how the assessments work, these diagnostic guides outline the path that the assessments take that lead to relevant treatment...
To help the student understand how the assessments work, these diagnostic guides outline the path that the assessments take that lead to relevant treatment...
Has an accident just happened? No = go to 2
2: Can the patient actively move their upper limbs at all? No = C4 & up
C4 & up treatment
Has an accident just happened? No = go to 2
2: Can the patient actively move their upper limbs at all? Yes = go to 3
3: Can the patient bend their elbow towards their face? No = C5
C5 treatment
Has an accident just happened? No = go to 2
2: Can the patient actively move their upper limbs at all? Yes = go to 4
3: Can the patient bend their elbow towards their face? Yes
4: Can the patient bend their wrist up? No = C6
C6 treatment
Has an accident just happened? No = go to 2
2: Can the patient actively move their upper limbs at all? Yes = go to 3
3: Can the patient bend their elbow towards their face? Yes = go to 4
4: Can the patient bend their wrist up? Yes = go to 5
5: Can the patient straighten their arm at the elbow? No = C7
C7 treatment
Has an accident just happened? No = go to 2
2: Can the patient actively move their upper limbs at all? Yes = go to 3
3: Can the patient bend their elbow towards their face? Yes = go to 4
4: Can the patient bend their wrist up? Yes = go to 5
5: Can the patient straighten their arm at the elbow? Yes = go to 6
6: Can the patient bend their fingers? No = C8
C8 treatment
Has an accident just happened? No = go to 2
2: Can the patient actively move their upper limbs at all? Yes = go to 3
3: Can the patient bend their elbow towards their face? Yes = go to 4
4: Can the patient bend their wrist up? Yes = go to 5
5: Can the patient straighten their arm at the elbow? Yes = go to 6
6: Can the patient bend their fingers? Yes = go to 7
7: Can the patient move their fingers side to side? No = T1
T1 treatment
Has an accident just happened? No = go to 2
2: Can the patient actively move their upper limbs at all? Yes = go to 3
3: Can the patient bend their elbow towards their face? Yes = go to 4
4: Can the patient bend their wrist up? Yes = go to 5
5: Can the patient straighten their arm at the elbow? Yes = go to 6
6: Can the patient bend their fingers? Yes = go to 7
7: Can the patient move their fingers side to side? Yes = go to 8
8: Does the patient have sensation at their nipple line? (upper thoracic) No = T2-T6
T2-T6 treatment
Has an accident just happened? No = go to 2
2: Can the patient actively move their upper limbs at all? Yes = go to 3
3: Can the patient bend their elbow towards their face? Yes = go to 4
4: Can the patient bend their wrist up? Yes = go to 5
5: Can the patient straighten their arm at the elbow? Yes = go to 6
6: Can the patient bend their fingers? Yes = go to 7
7: Can the patient move their fingers side to side? Yes = go to 8
8: Does the patient have sensation at their nipple line? (upper thoracic) Yes = go to 9
9: Does the patient have sensation at their navel line? (lower thoracic) No = T7-T12
T7-T12 treatment
Has an accident just happened? No = go to 2
2: Can the patient actively move their upper limbs at all? Yes = go to 3
3: Can the patient bend their elbow towards their face? Yes = go to 4
4: Can the patient bend their wrist up? Yes = go to 5
5: Can the patient straighten their arm at the elbow? Yes = go to 6
6: Can the patient bend their fingers? Yes = go to 7
7: Can the patient move their fingers side to side? Yes = go to 8
8: Does the patient have sensation at their nipple line? (upper thoracic) Yes = go to 9
9: Does the patient have sensation at their navel line? (lower thoracic) Yes = go to 10
10: Can the patient bring their knees up to their chest while lying on their back? No = L2
L2 treatment
Has an accident just happened? No = go to 2
2: Can the patient actively move their upper limbs at all? Yes = go to 3
3: Can the patient bend their elbow towards their face? Yes = go to 4
4: Can the patient bend their wrist up? Yes = go to 5
5: Can the patient straighten their arm at the elbow? Yes = go to 6
6: Can the patient bend their fingers? Yes = go to 7
7: Can the patient move their fingers side to side? Yes = go to 8
8: Does the patient have sensation at their nipple line? (upper thoracic) Yes = go to 9
9: Does the patient have sensation at their navel line? (lower thoracic) Yes = go to 10
10: Can the patient bring their knees up to their chest while lying on their back? Yes = go to 11
11: Can the patient straighten their knee? feel for flickers of muscle activity as well. No = L3
L3 treatment
Has an accident just happened? No = go to 2
2: Can the patient actively move their upper limbs at all? Yes = go to 3
3: Can the patient bend their elbow towards their face? Yes = go to 4
4: Can the patient bend their wrist up? Yes = go to 5
5: Can the patient straighten their arm at the elbow? Yes = go to 6
6: Can the patient bend their fingers? Yes = go to 7
7: Can the patient move their fingers side to side? Yes< = go to 8
8: Does the patient have sensation at their nipple line? (upper thoracic) Yes = go to 9
9: Does the patient have sensation at their navel line? (lower thoracic) Yes = go to 10
10: Can the patient bring their knees up to their chest while lying on their back? Yes = go to 11
11: Can the patient straighten their knee? feel for flickers of muscle activity as well. Yes = go to 12
12: Can they bend their ankle? No = L4
L4 treatment
Has an accident just happened? No = go to 2
2: Can the patient actively move their upper limbs at all? Yes = go to 3
3: Can the patient bend their elbow towards their face? Yes = go to 4
4: Can the patient bend their wrist up? Yes = go to 5
5: Can the patient straighten their arm at the elbow? Yes = go to 6
6: Can the patient bend their fingers? Yes = go to 7
7: Can the patient move their fingers side to side? Yes = go to 8
8: Does the patient have sensation at their nipple line? (upper thoracic) Yes = go to 9
9: Does the patient have sensation at their navel line? (lower thoracic) Yes = go to 10
10: Can the patient bring their knees up to their chest while lying on their back? Yes = go to 11
11: Can the patient straighten their knee? feel for flickers of muscle activity as well. Yes = go to 12
12: Can they bend their ankle? Yes = go to 13
13: Can they pull up their big toe? No = L5
L5 treatment
Has an accident just happened? No = go to 2
2: Can the patient actively move their upper limbs at all? Yes = go to 3
3: Can the patient bend their elbow towards their face? Yes = go to 4
4: Can the patient bend their wrist up? Yes = go to 5
5: Can the patient straighten their arm at the elbow? Yes = go to 6
6: Can the patient bend their fingers? Yes = go to 7
7: Can the patient move their fingers side to side? Yes = go to 8
8: Does the patient have sensation at their nipple line? (upper thoracic) Yes = go to 9
9: Does the patient have sensation at their navel line? (lower thoracic) Yes = go to 10
10: Can the patient bring their knees up to their chest while lying on their back? Yes = go to 11
11: Can the patient straighten their knee? feel for flickers of muscle activity as well. Yes = go to 12
12: Can they bend their ankle? Yes = go to 13
13: Can they pull up their big toe? Yes = go to 14
14: Can they point their toes or foot downwards? No = S1
S1 treatment