Standard assessment of low back disorders
Welcome to the STOPS.physio course on Standard assessment of low back disorders.
This course is divided into modules which are a series of topic specific lectures. Through-out these lectures you will have the opportunity to test your understanding by completing multiple attempt quiz questions.
If at any point you would like to return to your included course list, scroll to the bottom of the module series and follow the links under the "Return to included courses" module.
An adequate patient assessment is a mandatory skill for health practitioners engaged in primary care of patients with low back disorders. The aim of this course is to assist the practitioner in developing adequate theoretical knowledge to assess and diagnose the barriers to recovery for a typical patient presenting for primary care.
An assumption is made that all practitioners engaged in this course will have at least a Bachelor level understanding of human anatomy, biomechanics, physiology and pathology. This course relies on sound basic science knowledge to allow an application to clinical practice.
It should be noted that the information presented is not discipline specific. The course is based on long established standards of clinical practice1-3 interpreted within an evidence-based framework. Practitioners should be able to master the assessment procedures within this course and then adapt them in the manner specific for their discipline.
At the end of this course the practitioner should have the capabilities to:
- Demonstrate a standard subjective examination on a patient
- Demonstrate a standard physical examination
- Develop a prioritised list of barriers from a standard assessment
Quizzes throughout the course will assist the practitioner in self assessment of progress. Formal assessment and certification is an optional extra for the practitioner to ensure the above learning outcomes have been achieved.