The Patient Interview and Physical Examination

1. Elements of the Interview

The goal of this chapter is to describe the essential elements of the patient interview and highlight goals of the interview when treating patients with musculoskeletal pain.

2. Themes of the Patient Interview

The goal of this chapter is to outline a suggested approach to the patient interview using three themes to organize information relevant to taking a complete history, which will inform the patient plan of care.

3. The Therapeutic Alliance and Shared Decision-Making

The goal of this chapter is to introduce the learner to motivational interviewing concepts and enhance patient engagement and participation in the patient encounter. Further, this chapter will highlight communication strategies to promote shared decision-making to support the therapeutic alliance between patient and provider.

4. Elements of the Patient Examination

The goal of this chapter is to discuss what the learner needs to consider when approaching the patient examination. Further, the chapter will highlight the key elements of the patient examination and demonstrate their performance.

5. Executing the Patient Examination and Interpreting Findings

The goal of this chapter is to demonstrate performance of key elements of the patient examination and discuss the interpretation of findings.

6. Developing a Plan-of-Care Approach

The goal of this chapter is to describe how to synthesize examination information to develop a plan of care approach, including manual therapy interventions.