1|Page
Comprehensive I Human Case 55-Year-Old Male with Back Pain
Week #9
Comprehensive I Human Case 55-Year-Old Male with Back Pain
Week #9
Case Instructions
By submitting this assignment, you authorize that the work contained within is your own.
CASE REVIEW | CASE PLAY | STUDENT INSTRUCTIONS
Case authored by: i-Human Patients Academic Team
Patient Name: James Carter (55 y/o Male)
Height / Weight: 5' 10" (178 cm) / 245.0 lb (111.4 kg) — BMI: 35.2 kg/m²
Chief Complaint: Back pain
Case Week: i-Human Case Week #9
Setting: Primary Care Clinic
Case Type: Comprehensive — Pathophysiology, Clinical Reasoning, Broader Implications
Case Author: i-Human Patients Academic Team
i-Human Patients Academic Team | Comprehensive Case Study | For Educational Use Only | © 2025–2026
,Comprehensive I-Human Case | 55-Year-Old Male with Back Pain | Week #9 2 | Page
2|Page
HISTORY FEEDBACK — I-HUMAN GRADED PERFORMANCE
Ask relevant problem-focused questions to create an accurate initial differential diagnosis list. Various questions may yield
the same information. Examples of high-yield questions for this case include:
● Performed ✗ Missed
●/✗ Category Question Patient Response
● HPI How can I help you today? My back really hurts.
● HPI Do you have any other symptoms or Yes — the pain makes it hard to sleep and gets worse when I am
concerns we should discuss? walking. But otherwise, nothing else.
● HPI What are the events surrounding the I was rearranging heavy tables at the restaurant where I work. I do it
start of your back pain? all the time but this time I must have moved them wrong.
● HPI When did the pain in your back Four days ago.
start?
● HPI How long does your back pain last? I hope it won't last long. This is horrible!
● HPI What does the pain in your back Sharp.
feel like?
● HPI How severe (1–10 scale) is the pain About 7.
in your back?
● HPI Where more precisely is the pain in It's in my lower back. It starts right here (puts the palm of his hand on
your back? his lower back).
● HPI Does the pain in your back radiate I have pain in my right leg now also.
someplace else? Where?
● HPI Does the pain in your back come I wish it would go... No, it's continuous.
and go?
● HPI Does anything make the pain in Moving hurts more. Even rolling over in bed... or walking. I tried the
your back better or worse? ibuprofen like the urgent care recommended but it's not working.
● HPI What treatments have you had for Just the ibuprofen the urgent care gave me. It doesn't seem to be
the pain in your back? doing much.
● Symptom Do you have any tingling and/or Yes, it's in my right leg. I have shooting pain all the way down that
numbness anywhere? side too. It's pretty painful.
i-Human Patients Academic Team | Comprehensive Case Study | For Educational Use Only | © 2025–2026
, Comprehensive I-Human Case | 55-Year-Old Male with Back Pain | Week #9 3 | Page
3|Page
HISTORY FEEDBACK — CONTINUED (ADDITIONAL HPI &
PMH QUESTIONS)
●/✗ Category Question Patient Response
● HPI What treatments have you had for Acetaminophen but it hasn't really helped much. Too much
the pain in your back? movement tends to really aggravate my back, no matter if I take the
pills or not.
● Symptom Do you have any tingling and/or Just tingling from time to time in my buttock on the left. No
numbness anywhere? numbness.
● Symptom Have you noticed swelling in any I haven't noticed swelling anywhere. Luckily I haven't felt any
part of your body? numbness but there has been some tingling in my left buttock every
once in a while.
● Symptom Do you have any pain in your No, it's my back. I don't have any leg pain. I would say the pain starts
leg(s)? from my back and goes down into my left buttock area.
● PMH Can you tell me about any current I was diagnosed with high blood pressure a year ago. Luckily, I don't
or past medical problems you have have to take any medications since I listened to my primary care and
had? started to exercise and eat more healthy. Oh, I also see my dentist
every 6 months but haven't had any dental procedures.
● PMH Have you had any significant Nope. I haven't fallen or anything like that. No car accidents and no
traumatic injuries or accidents? workout injuries. At least not recently. I did mess up my shoulder
about 6 months ago.
● PMH Have you ever been hospitalized? No.
● PMH Any previous medical, surgical or I tore my right rotator cuff when I was lifting weights. I had surgery
dental procedures? about 8 months ago to repair it. I see my dentist every 6 months but
haven't had any dental procedures.
● PMH Do you have high blood pressure? Yes, I have a history of high blood pressure. Luckily, I don't have to
take any medications since I started exercising and eating healthy.
PHYSICAL EXAM FINDINGS — I-HUMAN GRADED RESULTS
Choice Yours Graded Notes
Pedal pulses +1 equal bilaterally Correct Normal vascular finding — rules out
vascular claudication as cause of leg
symptoms
Negative FADDIR test ✓ Correct Correctly identified — rules out hip
impingement as cause of
back/buttock pain
Positive straight leg raise test Correct Positive SLR confirms lumbar nerve
root irritation (L4–L5 or L5–S1
radiculopathy)
Positive FADDIR tests ✗ Incorrect FADDIR was negative — student
incorrectly selected a positive
FADDIR finding
i-Human Patients Academic Team | Comprehensive Case Study | For Educational Use Only | © 2025–2026