Spurling’s test diagnoses compressed nerves in the neck by moving the head and neck to assess pain. Pain in the neck and arm is a positive sign, caused by injury to vertebrae, herniated discs, or muscle spasms. The test carries a risk of serious harm and should only be performed by a trained professional.
Spurling’s test is a diagnostic technique that can identify the presence of a compressed nerve in the neck. It involves moving a patient’s head and neck in a particular way to assess any pain that subsequently occurs. Pain in the neck and arm is a positive sign of nerve compression in the test. Possible causes of nerve compression include injury to the vertebrae, herniated disc, or muscle spasms.
Pain in the neck or arm can be a sign of nerve compression in the cervical vertebrae of the spine. The cervical vertebrae are those in the neck area, and include the first seven vertebral bones, from the skull to the eighth vertebra, which attaches to the upper ribs. The nerves that run through the cervical vertebrae are those that supply sensation to the upper body, such as the neck and arms.
For Spurling’s test, the patient usually sits or lies down. Then the doctor extends the neck vertically and turns the head to the side where the patient feels pain. After turning the head, the doctor applies downward pressure on the head and slowly increases the pressure until the patient shows a symptom such as pain, at which time the test should be stopped. Other indications for stopping the test include other nervous symptoms such as numbness or tingling. If the cervical nerves are involved, these sensations tend to be in the neck and arm areas.
If pain is produced during Spurling’s test that is the same as pain previously felt by the patient, compression of the nerve is indicated. Various medical problems can cause compression, and these include muscle spasms, broken vertebral bones, and slippage of the discs that act as cushions between individual bones. Sometimes, however, Spurling’s test comes back as false positive if the patient is actually suffering from muscle strains or ligament problems unrelated to nerve compression.
This type of test carries the risk of serious harm to the patient, as movement of the spine in the event of an injury can be dangerous and can actually lead to paralysis. This risk increases if the professional performing the test does not take special care to cause as little pain as possible, which is a sign of injury. For this reason, the test should not be performed by an untrained person, and possible spinal injuries should be investigated by a physician.
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