Jonathan Collier Injury Rehabilitation

Subjective Assessment

What is it? And Why is it important?

A high-quality subjective assessment is one of the most undervalued tools a therapist uses to assist in providing a diagnosis and rationale alongside determining a clients severity and irritability.

A good therapist should have some form of an idea of what condition/injury/pain their client is trying to describe to them before even laying a hand on them. An objective assessment (physical) should merely be used to confirm or deny their "hunch".

Throughout a subjective assessment I'd look into;

• The site and Spread of the injury
• Mechanism (how it happened)
• Description of pain
• Onset and intensity
• How it has been since it happened
• Family History
• Social History (i.e what the client does as a job/hobbies and interests)
• History of Present Condition
• Diurnal Cycle (how it changes throughout the day)
• Any swelling/bruising/redness/heat
• Aggravating and Easing factors (this gives you a REALLY good idea of what it could be)
• Neurological signs (numbness/burning/pins and needles)
• Medication
• Sleep affected?
• Red Flags (these are questions asked to be sure there is nothing sinister going on)

Further questions may be necessary, to a therapists discretion, to dig a little deeper into the present condition.

Quality questioning can and should guide a therapist to a primary and secondary hypothesis leading to suitable methods of treatment for the presented injury.

JPC