When caring for a client with osteoarthritis, which nursing intervention is essential to promote joint mobility and reduce stiffness?
Encouraging the client to avoid physical activity to prevent further joint damage.
Applying cold packs to the affected joints to reduce inflammation and pain.
Assisting the client with range-of-motion exercises regularly.
Administering muscle relaxants to relieve joint stiffness.
The Correct Answer is C
Assisting the client with range-of-motion exercises regularly is an essential nursing intervention to promote joint mobility and reduce stiffness in individuals with osteoarthritis. These exercises help maintain joint flexibility and prevent further joint contractures. Encouraging the client to avoid physical activity can lead to joint stiffness and worsen the symptoms of osteoarthritis. Applying cold packs can provide temporary relief from pain and inflammation, but it is not a primary intervention to promote joint mobility. Administering muscle relaxants may not be the best approach to address joint stiffness in osteoarthritis.
a. Encouraging the client to avoid physical activity is not recommended. Regular low-impact exercises, such as swimming or walking, are beneficial for joint health and mobility in clients with osteoarthritis.
b. Applying cold packs can provide temporary relief from pain and inflammation but is not a primary intervention for promoting joint mobility in osteoarthritis.
d. Administering muscle relaxants may not be the best approach for addressing joint stiffness in osteoarthritis. Range-of-motion exercises and physical therapy are more effective interventions for improving joint mobility.
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Related Questions
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
Osteoarthritis commonly affects the distal finger joints, such as the DIP (distal interphalangeal) and PIP (proximal interphalangeal) joints. This form of osteoarthritis is known as Heberden's and Bouchard's nodes, respectively.
a. Osteoarthritis is not an autoimmune disorder; it is a degenerative joint disease.
b. Unlike rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis is not characterized by joint inflammation and swelling.
d. While osteoarthritis primarily involves synovial joints, it is not limited to these joints.
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
X-ray is the most commonly used diagnostic test to confirm the diagnosis of osteoarthritis. It can show joint space narrowing, osteophyte formation (bony overgrowths), and other changes characteristic of osteoarthritis. Rheumatoid factor (RF) and antinuclear antibody (ANA) blood tests are used to diagnose autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, not osteoarthritis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can provide more detailed images of joint structures, but X-ray is typically the initial diagnostic test for osteoarthritis.
a. Rheumatoid factor (RF) blood test is used to diagnose rheumatoid arthritis, not osteoarthritis.
b. Antinuclear antibody (ANA) blood test is used to diagnose autoimmune disorders such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), not osteoarthritis.
c. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be helpful in assessing joint structures in more detail, but X-ray is the primary diagnostic test for osteoarthritis.
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