Neurologic or musculoskeletal condition

neurologic or musculoskeletal condition

Chief Complaint:

A 23-year-old woman presents with complaints of muscle weakness in the face.

History:

The patient is a 23-year-old administrative assistant who complains of intermittent muscle weakness in her face that has been getting worse over the past 3 months. She also states that as she chews, her jaws feel tired. Swallowing has also become difficult. She reports episodes of double vision (diplopia), which seems to occur after reading for a few minutes in the late evening. With certain strenuous activities or after typing for long periods of time at work, she reports problems with bilateral arm weakness.

Physical Examination:

Notable ptosis (drooping) of the eyelids after repeated blinking exercises. When asked to smile, she appears to be snarling. Reflexes and sensation are normal in both upper and lower extremities. There is considerable weakness of the arms noted bilaterally after exercise.

Case Questions:

1. Is the patient’s condition neurological, musculoskeletal, or both? Explain why and support your thoughts with evidence-based literature. What would be a possible neurologic or musculoskeletal condition causing the symptoms?

2.Explain the pathophysiology behind the condition.

3.What pharmacological agent(s) are commonly used to treat the disorder and how do the agent(s) alter the pathophysiology of the condition?

4.What would be your educational plan for the patient?

……………………Answer preview…………………

The condition faced by the patient in question is neurological in nature. Neurological conditions affect the central or peripheral nervous system and, therefore, lead to reduced coordination of other bodily functions. Musculoskeletal conditions, on the other hand, are divisible into injuries and illnesses (Gatchel & Schultz). Musculoskeletal injuries include injuries such as sprains and fractures.  Musculoskeletal diseases include repeated motion injuries and other muscular disorders. The patient in question has problems involving facial muscles, but the problem is traceable to neurotransmission affecting message transmission to direct the jaws to act accordingly. Difficulty in swallowing is a condition commonly associated with Parkinson’s disease. Iranzo et al. (2006), postulate that drooping eyes and facial expression problems are some of the indicators of prevalence of Parkinson’s disease……………………………

APA

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