Clinical Examination - GALS Screen - Gait, Arms, Legs, Spine - (OLD VIDEO) - Dr Gill

Name: Clinical Examination - GALS Screen - Gait, Arms, Legs, Spine - (OLD VIDEO) - Dr Gill
Uploaded: 2025-02-15T19:16:30.112Z
Duration: 5 min 39 s
Channel: Dr James Gill

Dr James Gill

Feb 15, 2025 #Gals #DrGill #Clinicalskills

Clinical Examination - GALS Screen - Gait, Arms, Legs, Spine - (OLD VIDEO) - Dr Gill

The GALS screen is a core part of the MSK examinations, for when you are trying to identify an underlying limb problem

It's crucial to note that the GALS screen is technically this, a screening tool, rather than an examination, so the "GALS examination" is thus a misnomer.

A GALS screen would be indicated if a patient answered "Yes" to any of the initial three screening questions:

- Do they have pain or stiffness in the limbs, joints, or back
- Do they have difficulty going up and down stairs due to pain
- Do they have difficulty dressing due to pain

The GALS screen systematically looks over a patient's gait, arms, legs, and spine.

It should be noted that there are several variations to what is contained within the GALS screen. Personally, I prefer to assess the spine after having reviewed a patient's gait.

Remember the core of the examination is finding areas of pain, or discomfort which would then trigger the clinician to do a full in-depth examination of that particular joint or body part

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Watch further orthopaedic examinations for your OSCE revision:

The Elbow Examination
https://youtu.be/mI5n-VoL-KI

The Spine Examination:
https://youtu.be/pJxMHa6SCgU

The Knee examination
https://youtu.be/oyKH4EYfJDM

The Hip examination
https://youtu.be/JC9GKq5nSdQ

The GALS examination
https://youtu.be/5qJaf7gW-B0 - Gait, Arms, Legs, Spine - GALS screen

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Please note that there is no ABSOLUTE way to perform a clinical examination. Different institutions and even clinicians will have differing degrees of variations - the aim is the effectively identify medically relevant signs.

However during OSCE assessments. Different medical schools, nursing colleges and other health professional courses will have their own preferred approach to a clinical evaluation - you should concentrate on THEIR marks schemes for your assessments.

The examination demonstrated here is derived from Macleods Clinical Examination - a recognised standard textbook for clinical skills.

Some people viewing this medical examination video may experience an ASMR effect

#Gals #DrGill #Clinicalskills

You can now consult via video or in person with Dr Gill at Dr Finlay’s Private Practice - https://www.drfinlays.co.uk/services/video-consultation/

Right. Hello, my name's Dr Gill. Hi there. We've been asked to do a gowl screen, so that's going to look at your gait, arms, legs and spine. Is that alright? That's fine. Okay. Just to clarify, that'll involve checking over your joints, see if you've got any tenderness or stiffness there, getting you to take off your shirt, having a look over you and then having a look at you on the couch and moving your limbs around. Okay. Can I just clarify your name and date of birth? Now, before we go any further, I'd just like to clarify with three questions. Do you have any stiffness in any of your joints? No. Are you able to dress yourself in the morning? Yes. And do you have any difficulty going up and down stairs? No. Excellent. So, to start off the examination, if I can get you to walk forwards and come back again for me. Okay, that'll look fine. So, if I can get you to take your T-shirt off now, please. Okay. If I can get you to put your hands out by your sides. Okay, that's fine. And just turn 90 degrees to that way for me. So, I'm just having a look at your spine from the sides. So, neck, back and lower back. Okay. All of those look fine there. And turn away from me. So, I'm now just going to have a look at the movement of your lower back. I'd like you to bend forwards in a moment from your hips only. So, I'm going to put my fingers on your back. Okay. And if you could bend forwards for me. That's fine. And come backwards for me. That's excellent. Okay, thank you. So, if you turn to face me. Okay. So, I'd like to see if you can touch your left ear to your left shoulder. Okay. And back to the centre. Right ear to your right shoulder. And back to the centre. Put your head all the way back. And bring it back to the front. And down to your chest. And up again. If you could open your mouth as wide as you can. Okay. And close it. Thank you. Okay. I'm just going to check if you've got any tendons over your shoulders. Any problems there? No. Okay. That's okay. That's fine. Keeping your arms by your sides, if you can reach down to try and get to one knee. That's fine. And bring it up. And reach down to the other knee as best you can. Excellent. Okay. So, now we're going to have a look over your arms and things, if that's okay. So, if I can get you to put your hands behind your head for me. Okay. That's fine. And put your arms back by your sides, straight out. Okay. And flex up to your shoulders. Okay. That looks great. And at 90 degrees for me. And turn out. And turn in. Okay. That looks great. And if you could put your hands... I'd like to get you to touch your thumb to all of your fingers individually for me, please. That's excellent. Thank you very much. I'd like you to make a fist. Okay. And relax for me. And I want you to squeeze my fingers as hard as you can. Really go for it. That's fine. And relax. And I want you to put your hands like so for me. And hold that there for a moment. Is there any pain or tingling over your fingers? No. Okay. And if you could go the other way for me. Any tingling in your hands at all there? Okay. That's fine. Okay. So, put your hands back like so, with palms facing down. I'm just going to check temperature. That feels fine. I'm going to squeeze over your knuckles. Do you have any pain there? That's fine. I'm quickly just going to squeeze across your fingers. Any pain or tenderness here? No. That's fine. Thank you. So, if we could get you to lie down on the bed, if that's okay? Sure. We're going to have a look at your... Okay. Thank you. So, we'd just like to go over your legs now, if that's quite okay. To start off with, just can we clarify again? Do you have any pains anywhere on your legs at all? Excellent. Okay. So, I'm just going to check if there's any temperature. No. That's fine. And I'm going to press down on both knees. Brilliant. Okay. I'm now just going to sweep around your knees. Okay. And same on this side. Okay. That looks fine. Thank you. So, if I can get you to lift this leg up as high as you can for me. That's fine. Put it down. And then lift this leg up. That's fine. Put it down for me. Okay. If I can get you to move your knee up to your chest as best you can. And I've got my hand under your back. That's fine. And relax. And we'll do the same again on this side. So, I'm putting my hand under your lower back. And raise your knee up. That's fine. Thank you. I'd just like to move your legs, if that's okay now. So, I'm just going to pick it up. In. And turn it out. Any pains with that? No. Okay. We'll do the same again this side. So, pick it up. Turn the knee in. And out. That's fine. If you can move this leg out to the side. And then back across the midline. And then your other leg out to the side. And back across the midline. So, we're just going to have a look at your feet now. So, if I can get you to raise your feet up to the ceiling. Okay, that's fine. And push me away. Brilliant. Thank you. That completes this examination. Have you got any questions at all? No. Super. Thank you.