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Last Updated: Nov 5, 2026
Musculoskeletal & Pain Management
Neer’s Test Template
Free PDF 1 page, print-ready Clinician-reviewed
A Neer's test template is a one-page checklist for recording Neer's test, a clinical special test for shoulder impingement. The procedure is printed on the form, so every clinician stabilizes the scapula, internally rotates the arm and passively flexes it to its maximum. You mark the result as positive if the maneuver reproduces the patient's shoulder pain, or negative if it doesn't. A positive result is then marked as anterior or posterior pain. A positive test suggests subacromial impingement but is not diagnostic alone, so record any further tests in the notes box. Lines for the patient and examiner and an additional notes box complete the form.
Template details
- Template type
- Test
- Format
- Printable PDF, 1 page
- Sections
- 1 section
- Fields to complete
- 4 fields
- Best for
- Musculoskeletal & Pain Management
Free download
Download your free Neer’s Test
A one-page checklist for recording Neer's test, with the test procedure printed on the form. Mark the result as positive or negative, note anterior or posterior pain, and add notes.
What’s inside
- Patient information and examiner lines to record who was tested and by whom
- Test procedure printed in full: stabilize the scapula, rotate internally, flex maximally
- Positive or negative result checkboxes, plus anterior or posterior pain if positive
- Additional notes box for observations, supporting tests and next steps
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Key takeaways
The Neer’s test template is a one-page checklist for the procedure, the result, the pain location and your notes.
A positive Neer’s test reproduces shoulder pain at the end of passive forward flexion with the arm internally rotated.
A positive Neer’s test suggests subacromial impingement, typically as anterior or lateral shoulder pain.
Posterior or atypical pain is a prompt to consider other causes and run dedicated tests, such as the relocation test.
A positive result is not a diagnosis on its own, so record supporting tests such as Hawkins-Kennedy in the notes box.
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What is a Neer’s test template?
A Neer’s test template is a one-page checklist for recording the result of Neer’s test, a clinical special test for shoulder impingement. You stabilize the scapula, internally rotate the arm and passively flex it as far as it goes. If that maneuver reproduces the patient’s shoulder pain, the test is positive.
The checklist records that one test. The procedure, the result and the pain location sit in the same place on every form. Any clinician reading it later knows exactly what was done and what it showed.
What’s on the form
The form has five sections, in this order:
- Patient information and examiner: who was tested and who performed the test.
- Test procedure: the maneuver written out, so every clinician performs it the same way.
- Results and interpretation: positive if the maneuver reproduces shoulder pain on the injured side, negative if it provokes no pain or symptoms.
- If positive: a box to record whether the pain is anterior or posterior.
- Additional notes: open space for observations, supporting tests and next steps.
The checklist has no fields for a pain score, range of motion in degrees, medical history or a treatment plan. Record those in your main assessment note, or add the essentials to the notes box.
How to perform and record the test
Work through the form in the order it is printed. Each step below matches a section of the checklist.
- Fill in the patient and examiner lines: Write down the patient and the clinician running the test. If the test is repeated at a later visit, the examiner line shows who performed each one.
- Perform the test as printed: Stabilize the scapula on the affected side with one hand. Passively rotate the arm internally, then passively flex it to its maximum at the glenohumeral joint while you hold the internal rotation.
- Record the result: Tick positive if the maneuver reproduces the patient’s shoulder pain on the injured side. Tick negative if it provokes no pain or symptoms. In a positive test, the pain appears at the end of passive forward flexion with the arm internally rotated.
- Mark the pain location if positive: Tick anterior or posterior pain. A positive Neer’s test with anterior or lateral pain suggests subacromial impingement. Treat posterior or atypical pain as a prompt to consider other causes, and record any dedicated tests you run in the notes box.
- Use the notes box for context: Note any finding that shapes your reading of the result. That might be guarding, a painful arc on active abduction, or a positive Hawkins-Kennedy test. The form has no dedicated rows for other tests, so the notes box is where they go.
The pain location is the branch point on the form. It decides which supporting tests you write in the notes box.
File the completed checklist with the visit note, so the result sits next to the treatment decision it informed. A digital version built with form capture software saves you scanning paper and keeps every entry legible.
Which clinicians use it
Physical therapists are the main users. Private practices managing shoulder caseloads, hospital outpatient services and sports medicine teams all run Neer’s test as part of a shoulder exam. A shared checklist matters when several clinicians see the same patient.
Osteopaths and other manual therapists who assess shoulders within their scope of practice can use the same form. The printed procedure keeps the test identical whichever team member performs it.
Occupational therapists screening shoulder pain before planning activity-based treatment can record the result in the same format. Multidisciplinary teams gain the most, because one shared record cuts down on repeat testing.
Why a printed checklist helps
The same procedure every time: The maneuver is printed on the form, so each clinician stabilizes, rotates and flexes in the same order. Results from different practitioners can then be compared.
Faster documentation: A tick-box result and a pain location take seconds to record, compared with writing a free-text paragraph. Clinicians spend that time on the assessment instead.
Pain location on the record: The form captures whether the pain was anterior or posterior. Anterior pain fits the subacromial pattern Neer’s test looks for. Posterior or atypical pain flags the need for other tests, such as the relocation test for internal impingement.
A record that follows the patient: Filed with the visit note, the checklist shows the test was performed and what it found. Repeated at follow-up visits and kept in a physical therapy EMR, the checklists show whether the result changed after treatment.
Pro Tip
Record Neer’s test findings alongside the treatment plan, noting whether they support manual therapy, exercise prescription or an imaging referral. That links the finding to the decision while the reasoning is fresh.
Differential diagnosis: When Neer’s test isn’t enough
Neer’s test is sensitive for subacromial impingement but not specific. Several other conditions can produce pain during the maneuver or mimic impingement:
- Rotator cuff tendinopathy
- Acromioclavicular joint dysfunction
- Glenohumeral instability
- Cervical radiculopathy
- Thoracic outlet syndrome
A positive result is therefore one piece of a shoulder assessment, not its conclusion. Clinicians usually pair it with other shoulder special tests, such as Hawkins-Kennedy, the painful arc test and rotator cuff strength testing. The checklist has no fields for those, so record them in the additional notes box or in your full assessment note.
It also helps to list the conditions you still need to rule out in the notes box, such as AC joint pathology or cervical referral. That prompt stops the next clinician from anchoring on a single positive test.
How Pabau keeps shoulder assessments in the record
Paper checklists get filled in, then scanned or retyped into the patient file, and the result can drift away from the visit it belongs to. Pabau’s forms software, part of the practice platform we build, turns this checklist into a digital form. Your clinicians complete it on screen during the assessment.
Each completed form is saved to the patient record against that appointment, so the Neer’s test result sits next to the treatment plan it informed. The next clinician sees the result, the pain location and the notes without searching through paper files.
Keep every shoulder assessment in the patient record
Pabau’s digital forms capture Neer’s test findings at the point of assessment and file them against the visit. Documentation stays consistent and audit-ready without extra admin.
Conclusion
Use the Neer’s test template for what it does well. It gives your team a fast, consistent record of one impingement test, its result and where the pain sits. Because the procedure is printed, results stay comparable across clinicians and visits.
Its limit is just as clear. A single positive test doesn’t confirm impingement, so pair the checklist with supporting tests and your wider assessment before you commit to a treatment plan. Book a demo to see how Pabau files every shoulder assessment against the visit it came from.
Continue your research
Mapping where the shoulder pain sits? Rotator cuff pain location diagram shows which cuff muscle each pain pattern points to.
Need the full exam on one form? Orthopedic examination template walks through a structured six-stage assessment of joints, muscles and tendons.
Ruling out the AC joint? Cross arm test explains how to perform and read the provocation test for AC joint pathology.
Suspect a rotator cuff tear? Drop arm test covers the procedure, its interpretation and its diagnostic accuracy.
Checking for cervical nerve root involvement? Shoulder depression test template records the side tested, the direction of cervical flexion and the response.
Frequently asked questions
What does a positive Neer’s test indicate?
A positive Neer’s test reproduces the patient’s shoulder pain at the end range of passive forward flexion, with the arm held in internal rotation. It suggests subacromial impingement, usually felt as anterior or lateral shoulder pain. The result is not diagnostic on its own, so interpret it alongside tests such as Hawkins-Kennedy, strength testing and, where needed, imaging. Posterior or atypical pain calls for other differentials and dedicated tests, such as the relocation test for internal impingement.
Is Neer’s test sensitive or specific for impingement?
Neer’s test is sensitive, so it picks up most patients who have impingement, but its specificity is moderate. Many patients with a positive test don’t have structural impingement, and some patients with impingement test negative. That is why clinicians combine several tests with clinical reasoning before forming an impression.
How should I document Neer’s test findings?
Record who performed the test, the result, and the pain location if the result is positive. Add supporting findings, such as other special tests, in the notes box. Avoid diagnostic certainty, so write a working hypothesis rather than “patient has impingement”. For example, “positive Neer’s test with anterior pain suggests subacromial impingement” frames the finding without overstating it.
Can several practitioners share one checklist?
Yes. The printed procedure means every clinician performs and records the test the same way. Whether a patient sees one physical therapist or several, the results stay comparable, which supports continuity of care.
How does the checklist work with digital patient records?
A digital version of the checklist is completed on screen during the appointment. It saves straight to the patient record, so nobody scans or retypes it. In Pabau, the form is filed against the visit, next to the treatment notes and any later reassessments.
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