PAS Pain Assessment & Management 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A client rates their lower back pain as 7/10 on the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) after a postural correction exercise. What does this score indicate?
- Mild pain requiring no modification
- Moderate-to-severe pain that may warrant exercise modification (Correct answer)
- Severe pain requiring immediate medical referral
- No pain detected
Correct answer: Moderate-to-severe pain that may warrant exercise modification
A score of 7/10 on the NRS indicates moderate-to-severe pain, suggesting the specialist should modify or regress the exercise.
Question 2: Which pain quality descriptor most strongly suggests a neuropathic component to a client's pain?
- Dull and aching
- Sharp and throbbing
- Burning, tingling, or shooting (Correct answer)
- Pressure and tightness
Correct answer: Burning, tingling, or shooting
Burning, tingling, or shooting sensations are hallmark descriptors of neuropathic pain involving nerve irritation or damage.
Question 3: During a postural intake, a client reports pain that is worst in the morning and improves with movement throughout the day. This pattern is MOST consistent with:
- Mechanical low back pain
- Inflammatory arthritis (Correct answer)
- Discogenic pain
- Acute muscle strain
Correct answer: Inflammatory arthritis
Morning stiffness and pain that improves with activity is a classic inflammatory pattern seen in conditions like ankylosing spondylitis.
Question 4: A Postural Alignment Specialist should refer a client to a medical professional when pain is accompanied by which of the following?
- Mild soreness 24 hours after a new exercise
- Unexplained weight loss and night sweats (Correct answer)
- General muscle fatigue after a long session
- Transient post-exercise discomfort
Correct answer: Unexplained weight loss and night sweats
Unexplained weight loss and night sweats alongside pain are red-flag symptoms that may indicate serious pathology requiring medical evaluation.
Question 5: The Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ) is used in pain assessment to measure:
- A client's pain intensity over 24 hours
- The degree to which fear of pain drives avoidance of activity (Correct answer)
- Range of motion limitations caused by pain
- Inflammation markers associated with chronic pain
Correct answer: The degree to which fear of pain drives avoidance of activity
The FABQ assesses how much a client's fear of pain influences their avoidance of physical activity and work.
Question 6: Which postural deviation is most commonly associated with anterior knee pain (patellofemoral syndrome)?
- Posterior pelvic tilt
- Excessive knee valgus and foot pronation (Correct answer)
- Thoracic hyperkyphosis
- Forward head posture
Correct answer: Excessive knee valgus and foot pronation
Excessive knee valgus combined with foot pronation alters patellofemoral tracking and is a primary contributor to anterior knee pain.
Question 7: When documenting a client's pain, which of the following BEST represents a subjective pain finding?
- Visible antalgic gait pattern
- Client states 'my neck feels stiff and achy every morning' (Correct answer)
- Reduced cervical range of motion measured with inclinometer
- Palpable muscle guarding in the upper trapezius
Correct answer: Client states 'my neck feels stiff and achy every morning'
Subjective findings are based on what the client reports in their own words, while objective findings are measured or observed by the practitioner.
PAS Pain Assessment & Management 2
A client rates their lower back pain as 7/10 on the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) after a postural correction exercise.
What does this score indicate?