When documenting, discuss treatment goals.

• A. Discuss treatment goals
• B. Identify the stage of healing
• C. Document the site of injury
• D. Describe the PAM and the specific parameter used

Answer: (A)

When documenting a PAM session, articulating treatment goals is the anchor for the whole plan. Clear goals specify what you aim to achieve for the patient—such as reducing pain to a level that allows daily activities, restoring a certain range of motion, improving strength, or returning to a specific activity. When goals are patient-centered and measurable, they guide the choice of modality and settings, and they provide a concrete target to reassess progress against.

Good goals are specific and time-bound, often framed in functional terms. For example, “reduce pain to a 2/10 during dressing changes within two weeks” or “increase elbow flexion to 120 degrees to allow reaching overhead tasks in four weeks.” This makes it easier to determine whether the treatment is working and whether to continue, modify, or stop PAM.

Other details like the stage of healing, the site of injury, or the exact PAM and parameters are important parts of documentation, but they serve to inform the plan and safety, not to define the overall direction. The goals give the rationale and a measurable benchmark for progress, tying everything together in the record.