Good Subjective assessment

Published: 11/09/2020

The Subjective Assessment is the most crucial part of any examination and deterimes the SIN (Severity, Irritability and Nature) of a patient's condition. 

Top tips

1. Actively listen
2. Check understanding with the patient summarise your findings to them to double check you have head them correctly

Special questions

Key things to ask

• Night sweats
• Malaise (generally feeling unwell)
• Medications
• General health

For cervical spine (5D's)

• Dizziness
• Dysarthria (speech)
• Dysphasia (swallow)
• Diplopia (vision)
• Drop attacks

All determine the risk of vertebral artery involvement

For low back pain

• Cauda equina signs - bladder or bowel changes
• Cord signs - glove and stocking paresthesia, balance problems

More information look at the following resources

Rayner & Smale The Importance of the Subjective Examination

Physiopedia Subjective Assessment of the Lumbar Spine

Neuromusculoskeletal Examination and Assessment by N. Petty (Chapter 2)