Question

A therapist poses the question "Is exercise alone as effective as exercise plus manual techniques to manage pain and functional limitations?" Which italicized phrase will make this question more consistent with a searchable evidence-based practice format? 1) "...in a 52-year-old man with adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder..." 2) "...functional limitations (such as reaching overhead into kitchen cabinets) ..." 3) "...in a 52-year-old man who loves to golf and work on cars..." 4) "...manual techniques (such as joint and soft tissue mobilization) to manage..."

Answer 1

The italicized phrase that would make this question more consistent with a searchable evidence-based practice format is:

"...functional limitations (such as reaching overhead into kitchen cabinets)..."

The key to evidence-based practice questions is that they need to be specific yet searchable. Options 1 and 3 provide specific details about the patient, but those details are not relevant for searching the evidence and make the question overly narrow.

Option 2 provides a specific functional limitation example while keeping the question broad enough to search the evidence on exercise and manual techniques for managing pain and functional limitations in general.

So option 2 makes the question more consistent with a searchable evidence-based practice format.

Step-by-step explanation: