{"id":163539,"date":"2026-07-24T09:00:59","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T09:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pabau.com\/?p=163539"},"modified":"2026-08-13T13:06:07","modified_gmt":"2026-08-13T13:06:07","slug":"spurlings-test","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pabau.com\/fr\/blog\/spurlings-test\/","title":{"rendered":"Spurling’s test: Procedure, interpretation, and clinical accuracy"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Spurling’s test is a high-specificity clinical maneuver (85-95%) used to identify cervical nerve root compression by reproducing radicular arm symptoms.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n

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A positive result requires pain, numbness, or tingling that radiates into the ipsilateral upper extremity – local neck pain alone does not count as positive.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n

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Low sensitivity (30-60%) means a negative Spurling’s test does not rule out cervical radiculopathy; additional imaging or electrodiagnostic testing is often required.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n

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Pabau’s digital forms and structured client records help physiotherapists and chiropractors document Spurling’s test findings accurately within SOAP notes.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n\n\n

Spurling’s test: Definition, procedure, and clinical interpretation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cervical radiculopathy is one of the most commonly missed musculoskeletal diagnoses in clinical practice. The Spurling’s test gives clinicians a fast, bedside method to reproduce the patient’s radicular symptoms and build a confident case for nerve root involvement before ordering imaging. Understanding exactly how to perform it, and how to interpret what you find, is essential for any practitioner working with neck and upper limb complaints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This guide covers the anatomy behind the test, a step-by-step procedure, result interpretation, diagnostic accuracy evidence, and how to document findings in a clinical setting. It is written for physiotherapists, chiropractors, and orthopedic clinicians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Spurling’s test?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Spurling’s test, also known as the maximal cervical compression test or foraminal compression test, is a physical examination maneuver used to assess for cervical radiculopathy. The examiner passively extends the patient’s neck, rotates the head toward the symptomatic side, then applies a downward axial load to the top of the skull. A positive Spurling’s test occurs when this compression reproduces the patient’s familiar radicular symptoms into the ipsilateral upper extremity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The test was first described by Roy Spurling and W.B. Scoville in 1944 and remains one of the most widely cited orthopedic special tests for cervical spine assessment. It is used across physiotherapy, chiropractic, orthopedic, and sports medicine settings as part of a broader cervical physical examination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anatomy behind Spurling’s test: Why foraminal compression provokes symptoms<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The cervical intervertebral foramina are bony channels through which spinal nerve roots exit the spinal column. Extending the neck causes the intervertebral disc to bulge posteriorly, narrowing the foramina on both sides. Adding ipsilateral rotation narrows the foramen further on the side the head is turned toward. Axial compression then adds direct mechanical load on any nerve root already compromised by disc herniation, osteophyte formation, or foraminal stenosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is why the test reproduces dermatomal symptoms rather than simple local neck pain. The compressed nerve root sends pain, numbness, or paresthesia along its specific distribution in the arm, which tells the examiner both that nerve root involvement is likely and, from the dermatomal pattern, which level is affected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n