Special Maneuvers (musculoskeletal) Flashcards
What are the special testing for the cervical spine
- Spurlings maneuver
- Distraction test
How to complete spurlings maneuver
- Examiner is behind the patient with their hand interlocked on the patients head
- The patients neck is at neutral
- The examiner will apply pressure to the top of the patients head
- The test is repeated with the head/neck in slight extension then in slight extension and lateral flexion
What is a positive finding of spurlings maneuver
Pain or radicular symptoms
*indicative of nerve root impingement
*making the neural foramina smaller
*trying to induce radicular symptoms
How to complete the distraction test
- Examiner will place one hand under the patients chin and the other around the occipital
- The examiner will then slowly lift the patients head
What is a positive distraction tests
- When pain is relieved or decreased when the head is lifted / distracted
What are the special tests for the shoulder
- Drop arm test (Codman’s Test)
- Empty can test (Supraspinatus test)
- Neer impingement test
- Speeds test (biceps test)
- Hawkins impingement test
How to complete the drop arm test
- Examiner will abduct the patients shoulder to 90 degrees
- Then the patient will (try to) slowly lower their arm back to neutral
What is a positive drop arm test (codmans test) and what does it indicate?
- Patient is unable to return arm slowly to side (or has serve pain with doing so)
*indicates RTC tear
How to complete the empty can test (Supraspinatus test)
- Patients arm will be abducted to 70-90 degrees with no rotation
- Shoulder will then be medially rotated and angled forwards 30 degrees (thumbs pointed towards the floor)
What is a positive empty can test (supraspinatus test) and what does it indicate
Resistance to abduction given, examiner looks for weakness or pain
*indicated supraspinatus injury
How to conduct Neer impingement test
- Patients arm is forcibly elevated through forward flexion by examiner
- Will creating a jamming of the greater tuberosity against the anteroinferior border of the acromion (ac joint)
+test (looking for grimace)
How to conduct speeds test (bicep test)
- Patients arm is placed in forward flexion at 90 degrees with forearm in supination
*palms up, examiner pushes down - Assessing for pain and or weakness
How to complete Hawkins impingement test
- Patients arm is forward flexed to 90
- Elbow is bent to 90
- Shoulder is then forcibly medially (internally rotated)
What does a positive Hawkins impingement test indicate
Pain will indicate a positive test for supraspinatus tendonitis or long head of biceps
*pushes supraspinatus tendon against Coracoid process
What are the special tests of the elbow
- Tinels sign
- Lateral epicondylitis test
- Medial epicondylitis test
How to conduct Tinel sign (elbow)
Tests for ulnar neuropathy (cubital tunnel syndrome)
1. Tap over the ulnar nerve in the ulnar groove
*between the olecranon process and medial epicondyle)
What does a positive tinel sign indicate
- Tingling sensation int eh ulnar nerve distribution of the forearm and hand
How to complete the lateral epicondylitis test
- Examiner stands lateral to affected elbow and stabilizes patients elbow
*thumb on lateral epicondyle, fingers medially - Patient makes a fist in pronation and resist
- The examiner will be applying downward pressure to the fist
Where is pain coming from if the lateral epicondylitis test is positive
Extensors from the lateral epicondyle
How to complete the medial epicondylitis test
- Examiner will stand lateral to affected side, the patients elbow is in supination and bent a 90 degrees with the hand in a fist
- Examiner palpates medical epicondyle with one hand and place the other hand over the patients supinated wrist
- Examiner will place downward pressure over patients wrist while the patient resists the pressure
What does a positive medical epicondylitis test indicate
- Pain over the medial epicondyle
*medical epicondylitis (golfers elbow)
What are the special tests of the wrist
- Phalens test
- Tinel sign
- Finkelstein test
How to complete phalens test (carpal tunnel syndrome)
- Hold patients hand/wrist in flexion for one minute
*tell patient to hold the back of their hands together
*will be putting stress on the median nerve
What does a positive phalens test indicate
- Development (or worsening) of numbness and or tingling in a median nerve distribution