Why is it important to know the patient's pain level prior to the treatment session?
A) To determine if the patient needs pain medication
B) To determine if the patient cannot perform the exercises that day
C) To determine if the patient has increased or decreased pain following the treatment session
D) It has no bearing on the treatment session.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

It is important to know the patient's pain level prior to the treatment session to evaluate whether the treatment session decreased or increased the pain level, giving concrete feedback to the therapist. Knowing changes in the pain level will help the treating therapist determine the efficacy of the current plan of care. If the pain level increases, the treating therapist must make an adjustment to the plan of care to keep the pain level at or below the pre-treatment level. If the treating therapist is a PTA, the PTA must communicate this increase in pain level to the PT for an adjustment to the plan of care.

Why Is It Important to Know the Patient's Pain Level