Yoga as Therapeutic Exercise: A Practical Guide for Manual Therapists

3

Chapter

General considerations for

diagnosis and testing

Diagnosis and examination are fundamental to all

medical and therapeutic interventions:

•    to design  the treatment   plan

•    to see the improvement,    how the patient is  

responding to treatment

•    to adjust  and modify  the treatment   accordingly.

Manual  therapists   have    a   special    responsibility  

for diagnosis.  During  treatment   patients    seem    to  

become  more    aware   and remember    their   problems    

more.   Often   they    tell    their   therapist   what    they    

should  have    told    their   doctor  or   counselor. The 

manual therapist must be able to guide the patient

towards the appropriate diagnostic  steps.  It   is  also   

important   to   recognize  red flags   indicating  when    the 

patient has to   be  referred   for medical investigation.  

This    is  the case    if  any of  the following   applies:

abdominal pain, anorexia, bilateral symptoms,

bowel/bladder changes, chills, constipation,

diaphoresis, diarrhea, dizziness, dysesthesia,

dysphagia, dyspnea, early satiety, fatigue,

fever, headaches, heartburn, hemoptysis,

hoarseness, indigestion, jaundice, nausea, night

pain, night sweats, palpitations, paresthesia,

persistent cough, skin rash, vision changes,

vomiting, weakness, weight loss/gain.

(Goodman & Snyder 2000, pp. 492–493)

Chapter contents

General considerations for diagnosis and testing 17

Tests of our aims of exercising 18

Exercise and pain 24

Contraindications 25

Diagnosis