head and neck
When evaluating patients with arm pain complaints, these two signs significantly increase the likelihood of a cervical radiculopathy being the diagnosis compared with an MSK etiology.
What are loss of a reflex and weakness?
This percentage of people with cervical radiculopathy report arm pain.
What is 97 - 99%?
These cervical spine levels are consistent with lateral epicondylitis and medical epicondylitis respectively.
What are C6-7 and C7-8?
EXTRA: what are the layman's names for lateral epicondylitis and medical epicondylitis?
This mnemonic is used to remember the names of the tendons involved in DeQuervain's tenosynovitis.
What is "All peanut lovers eat peanut butter"?
adductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis.
This physical exam finding is characteristic of myofacial pain syndrome.
What are trigger points?
This MSK mimic of cervical radiculopthy, characterized by arm fatigue, weakness, pain and numbness in a C8 distribution is caused by vascular claudication from compression in the neck and clavicle region.
What is vascular thoracic outlet?
This number muscle screen with EMG is 94 to 99% accurate in detecting cervical radiculopathy.
What is 6 muscle screen?
EXTRA: does this include paraspinals?
These rotator cuff muscles have C5-6 innervation such that pain and weakness in these muscles can imitate a C5-6 radiculopathy.
What is the "SITS" muscles: supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor and subscapularis?
EXTRA: what muscles would you check to distinguish C5-6 radic from rotator cuff tear?
This type of grasp increases grip strength.
What is tenodesis grasp?
This syndrome results from tenosynovitis of the extensor carpi radialis longus and extensor carpi radialis brevis tendons in the 2nd compartment of wrist extensors.
What is intersection syndrome?
This mimic of cervical radiculopathy with pain and stiffness in the neck, shoulders and arms, is also associated with stiff hips, temporal arteritis, elevated c protein, elevated ESR and positive response to oral steroids.
What is polymyalgia rheumatica?
This provocative test checks for a decreased radial pulse with the arm extended when the patient turns their head to the affected side and holds a deep breath.
What is Adson's test?
Neck pain during Spurling's test without referral into the arm suggests this etiology.
What is zygopophyseal (facet) joint pain?
EXTRA: what is the test called to diagnose this?
Treatment?
This MSK mimic of cervical radiculopathy has significant decreased and painful active and passive range of motion of the shoulder.
What is adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder)?
This maneuver is used by martial artists to decrease grip strength of their opponent.
What is cause wrist flexion?
EXTRA: what is the degree of wrist extension associated with greatest wrist strength?
This diagnostic tool can help determine the cause of intersection syndrome.
What is ultrasound or diagnostic injection.
These two types of trigger points describe either spontaneous pain at the trigger point site or pain with palpation.
What are active and latent trigger points?
EXTRA: How do you identify a trigger point?
This test for vascular thoracic outlet compression requires the patient to sustain arm elevation for 3 mins while performing hand exercises.
What is the Roos test?
This type of headache can have unilateral symptoms and be associated with arm pain, thereby mimicking cervical radiculopathy.
What is cervicogenic headache?
EXTRA: how is tension headache different?
These tests can be used to screen for shoulder impingement.
What are Neer's and Hawkin's tests?
Medial epicondylitis can resemble a C7-8 radiculopathy. Innervation of this C8 muscle, NOT involved in medial epicondylitis would support a C8 radiculopathy.
What is the flexor digitorum profundus to the middle finger?
This layman's term is used to describe the deformity caused by biceps tendon insertion rupture.
What is the "Popeye" deformity?
This part of a musical instrument is similar to the feeling of taut bands of painful muscle.
What are guitar strings?
This classic sign of complex regional pain syndrome mean normally non-painful stimuli are now painful.
What is allodynia?
EXTRA: how does it differ from hyperalgesia? from dysesthesia?
Patients with this level of radiculopathy will complain of occipital and temporal headaches radiating to the ear.
What is C2 to C4?
This cause of a cervical radiculopathy mimic is relieved with a glenohumeral steroid join injection.
What is a ganglion paralabral cysts in the glenohumeral joint?
What are pain, pallor, paresthesias, paralysis and pulselessness.
This physical exam test is used to diagnose DeQuervain's tenosynovitis.
What is the Finklestein test?
No longer thought to be autoimmune or inflammatory, this mimic is characterized by widespread pain and cognitive issues.
What is fibromyalgia?
These criteria are used to diagnose CRPS.
What are the Budapest criteria?
allodynia, limb color, trophic changes, vasomotor changes.