Question

A patient with a herniated disk is scheduled for surgery to fuse two vertebrae in her cervical spine. Which activity is most likely to be a palliative factor for this patient?

a. Repainting her new apartment
b. Lifting moving boxes on and off of a truck
c. Performing neck, back, and shoulder exercises prescribed by a physical therapist
d. Performing yoga exercises from the patient's favorite set of videotapes

Answer 1

The most palliative activity for a patient with a herniated disk is likely to be neck, back, and shoulder exercises prescribed by a physical therapist. These exercises strengthen and stabilize the spine, unlike activities that might exacerbate pain, such as heavy lifting.

Step-by-step explanation:

The activity most likely to be a palliative factor for a patient with a herniated disk scheduled for fusion surgery in the cervical spine would be c. Performing neck, back, and shoulder exercises prescribed by a physical therapist. These exercises are designed to strengthen and stabilize the spine, which can help alleviate pain and improve function. In contrast, activities such as repainting, lifting heavy objects, or performing yoga exercises could aggravate the condition if not done with proper guidance and modifications.

Lifting a heavy object can produce pain in a lower limb due to a herniated disc because it can cause the nucleus pulposus to protrude posteriorly through the anulus fibrosus, resulting in compression of a spinal nerve at the point it exits through the intervertebral foramen. This compression can lead to pain and/or muscle weakness in body regions supplied by the affected nerve, commonly resulting in a condition such as sciatica.