Respond to both discussions ( numbered 1 and 2 ) with two different responses. Incorporate personal experience, if appropriate, to help discuss, support or debate other students’ posts. If differences of opinion occur, debate the issues and provide examples to support opinions.
Be sure to cite any outside sources in current APA format.
1. Title: Discussion Board 8
Part A: Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is a rare condition that can affect the nerves that control muscle movements as well as those that transmit pain, temperature and touch sensation. As a result, it can lead to muscle weakness, loss of sensation in legs or arms, and problems swallowing or breathing. In early stages of GBS, symptoms include weakness or tingling sensations usually starting in the legs and spread to the arms and face. In severe cases, the ability to speak and swallow may become affected. Treatment for this condition include immunotherapy, such as plasma exchange or intravenous immunoglobulin. When the muscle is affect, phyical therapy is needed to restore movement (World Health Organization., 2023).
Part B: What I found most interesting about this condition is that the cause of this condition is not fully understood, but most cases follow an infection with a virus or bacteria. There is also no known cure for GBS, but the treatments can help improve symptoms and shorten its duration. In the Visible Body Courseware, I looked at section 21.4 Mixed Cranial Nerves. This section showed the nerves that transmit both sensory and motor signals. These are the nerves that are affected by GBS.
Citation:
“Guillain–Barré Syndrome.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/guillain-barr%C3%A9-syndrome. Accessed 1 Apr. 2024.
2. (Cleveland Clinic, 2023)”Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is a group of disorders that happen due to compression of nerves or blood vessels in your lower neck and upper chest.” The structures that are most affected by this compression are your brachial plexus, subclavian artery, and subclavian vein. The most common reason why this condition may occur is due to either a person’s anatomy not allowing for room for these structures or potential trauma to the area. Signs and symptoms that may occur due to this condition are pain in the affected arm, specifically when lifting, tingling, numbness, weakness, heaviness, swelling, skin color changes, skin temperature change, and slow-healing sores on the fingers. Risk factors include engaging in sports that use repetitive arm motions, carrying heavy items over your shoulder, weightlifting, trauma to the area, poor posture, tumors, or large lymph nodes in the area. Treatments include physical therapy, which the majority of the population works for. Other people may have to resort to surgery on the area if physical therapy does not provide relief.
What I find interesting about this condition is the commonality of how it occurs. While it most often happens due to certain people’s anatomy, it can also help to further reinforce the idea of how we need to sit or walk with the proper posture. When we are helping a patient, either by escorting them to the bathroom or transferring them to the bed or chair, we have to be mindful of how we do it so that we do not cause swelling in the area. It is also wonderful to know that physical therapy works for the majority of people with this condition, as I used to have a similar condition and physical therapy worked so well for me, so I enjoyed the treatment options we have for this condition. How this relates to Visible Body is through Section 19.12, as this section specifically highlights the brachial plexus, which is the most common type of thoracic outlet syndrome, with the other two being venous and arterial thoracic outlet syndrome. This helped me understand the condition much easier, as the website I procured my information from did not have the best pictures for me to learn from, and with the 3D model, it shed a new light on how the different structures may develop this condition.
Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS). (2023, May 3). Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17553-thoracic-outlet-syndrome-tos
The link for visible body https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vD6ZkL3VlFyIBV7XxJj6OM8gtKMIBhOg/view?usp=sharing
