Posted: April 24th, 2025

Musculoskeletal JW

Respond to post with 1 reference apa 7th edition, and ask a question at the end.

How would you handle a patient requesting a letter for work due to them possibly having a sprain? 

A patient requesting a letter for work due to a possible sprain will require an assessment. In the evaluation of an ankle injury, a practitioner should elicit a history of the mechanism of injury (Melanson & Shuman, 2024). The assessment with confirm the sprain and allow documentation of findings to support letter. A minor sprain might not require a doctor’s note, but a more severe sprain that limits movement or causes significant pain likely would require time off. Upon completion of overall assessment, the FNP will determine if the patient needs require restricted duties or time off. If the sprain is not confirmed, the FNP can write a letter to explain that the patient is being evaluated for a musculoskeletal injury. In conclusion, a sprain is a injury to a ligament and treaments depends on the severity of the sprain and may require time off of work.

References

Melanson SW, Shuman VL. Acute Ankle Sprain. [Updated 2023 May 23]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459212/