Journal Entry / musculoskeletal disorder

Student’s Name
Instructor’s Name
Course Details
Date
Journal Entry Musculoskeletal Disorder
Case study for this journal entry-An army sergeant with mysterious back pain: Crack the case. Retrieved from http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/834573.
During the practicum, M.W exhibited all signs that led to the conclusion that she might have had a musculoskeletal disorder, in this case, fibromyalgia syndrome. Through investigation got conducted to rule out any other pathologies; this happened because fibromyalgia possesses signs that are never indicative of the syndrome as the only cause. However, through differential diagnosis, it is possible to determine the etiology. In the case of M.W, it was easy to conclude that fibromyalgia might have been the cause of her symptoms since there was no identifiable cause of the persistent pain and discomfort. Females in the ages of 40-50 are prone to fibromyalgia syndrome, and M.W was no exception as she was 44years old (Tracy).
Patient’s Personal and Medical History
The past medical history of M.W includes hypothyroidism, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, hyperlipidemia, intermittent constipation and abdominal discomfort that have improved after taking a fiber supplement. She also underwent an appendectomy 20 years ago. M.W has a BMI of 27/kg/m2 and remarkable joint tenderness. M.W has multiple soft-tissue tender joints on palpation that include the bilateral mid-upper trapezius muscles, cervical paravertebral muscles, lateral epicondyles, upper lateral thighs, and medial portions of both knees just proximal to the joint line (Tracy).

Drug Therapy and Treatments
M.W sees an endocrinologist for her hypothyroidism and a psychiatrist for her depression. Her medications list includes Levothyroxine 250 µg QD, Ibuprofen as needed and multivitamins. M.W stopped taking Simvastatin 20 mg QD six months ago, and she is not on depressants (Tracy).
Follow-up Care
The follow-up care for M.W included the tracking of her pain to determine if it persists three months. Fibromyalgia demands a multidisciplinary approach as its etiology is not definite. Proper screening should take place to identify other diagnoses that may masquerade as fibromyalgia. The patients should get educated on the importance of maintaining an active lifestyle and eating correctly.

Works Cited
Tracy, C. F. “An army sergeant with mysterious back pain: Crack the case.” Latest Medical News, Clinical Trials, Guidelines – Today on Medscape, 2017, www.medscape.com/viewarticle/834573.