A 34 year-old over-the-road driver comes in to see the nurse practitioner complaining of low back pain on and off for three months. The pain got worse after he drove a skid Steer tractor over the weekend. He states he usually takes 400 mg of Motrin and the pain subsides within 3 days but for the last three days the pain is still present. He has called out to work and states the pain is affecting his income and he really needs something to be done about it.

His vitals are as follows:
BP 128/83
Heart Rate 93
Pulse OX 99%
BMI 35

1. What labs or procedures are you running to confirm your diagnosis?

 
 
 
 

2. What is your diagnosis?

 
 
 
 

3. What are your recommendations for the patient?

4. What are some red flag symptoms of low back pain?

 
 
 
 

5. What are some potential referrals the patient may benefit from?

 
 
 
 

6. What has the most risk factors for low back pain (sciatica)

 
 
 
 

7. What is the initial pharmacological treatment for lumbosacral radiculopathy?

 
 
 
 

8. What is your next step if traditional treatment does not work?

 
 
 
 

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