
Note: tests should only be performed by a properly trained health care practitioner. They are developed, in part, to meet the demands of payers, accrediting bodies, and maintenance of certification and licensure programs, helping them determine the appropriate standard of care in NM medicine. This test has better diagnostic criteria when clustered with other exam measures (check out the cervical home page!). To develop these guidelines and consensus statments, AANEM works with physicians who specialize in neuromuscular (NM) and EDX medicine. With distraction, the joint space is increased to relieve the pressure on the nerve roots, thus decreasing the symptoms. The decreased space can result in greater pressure on the nerve roots or other innervated structures, causing pain and weakness.

Importance of the Test: As disc height decreases and bone spurs accumulate, the space for nerves to enter and exit the vertebral canal gets smaller. a physical examination and results of diagnostic studies, if necessary. 62 +LR: 4.4 (“Reliability and diagnostic accuracy of the clinical examination and patient self-report measures for cervical radiculopathy”). At each vertebral level, a pair of spinal nerves exit through small openings. A positive test is when the patient’s symptoms are reduced with the traction.ĭiagnostic Accuracy: Specificity.

Slightly flex the patient’s neck and pull the head towards your torso, applying a distraction force. Performing the Test: Either place each hand around the patient’s mastoid processes, while standing at their head, or place one hand on their forehead and the other on the occiput. Purpose: To assess the contribution of cervical radiculopathy to the patients symptoms.
