ABPMR Pain Medicine case studies
ABPMR Pain Medicine · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The ABPMR Pain Medicine subspecialty certification is a credential offered by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation to physicians who have completed accredited pain medicine training and who want board recognition in the evaluation and management of painful conditions. ABPMR lists it alongside its other subspecialty certificates - brain injury medicine, hospice and palliative medicine, neuromuscular medicine, pediatric rehabilitation medicine, spinal cord injury medicine, and sports medicine - and it is distinct from primary PM&R certification. The examination samples the full breadth of pain practice: pain anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology; evaluation and diagnosis of painful conditions; interventional pain procedures; pharmacologic and non-interventional management; and multidisciplinary, behavioral, and rehabilitative care. Expect clinically framed, multiple-choice questions that test judgment rather than recall of isolated facts. The ABPMR Pain Medicine case studies are 5 cases and about 2,343 words.
1Painful Diabetic Neuropathy in Advanced CKD With Orthostasis
72-year-old woman (58 kg) with painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy describes 7/10 burning in both feet for 1 year. eGFR has been 26–30 mL/min/1.73 m² for 6 months; HbA1c 8.9%.
501 words, about 3 min2Mixed Neurogenic and Vascular Claudication
58-year-old man with 8 weeks of low back pain radiating into the right lateral calf and dorsum of the foot. Pain is worse with walking and standing and improves when he sits or leans forward over a shopping cart.
511 words, about 3 min3Neuraxial Steroid Injection in a Patient With a Mechanical Mitral Valve
61-year-old woman with 6 months of right L5 radicular pain after a fall. MRI shows a right L4–L5 disc extrusion with foraminal stenosis.
474 words, about 2 min4Request for Opioid Escalation in a Patient With Sleep Apnea and Benzodiazepine Use
54-year-old woman with 3 years of chronic axial low back pain. She takes oxycodone 10 mg every 6 hours (40 mg/day) and clonazepam 1 mg at bedtime.
455 words, about 2 min5Fibromyalgia, Catastrophizing, and a Request for Opioids
42-year-old woman with 3 years of widespread pain, fatigue, unrefreshing sleep, and difficulty concentrating. She meets clinical criteria for fibromyalgia.
402 words, about 2 min