Question

A 32-year-old warehouse worker presents for evaluation of low back pain. He notes a sudden onset of pain after lifting a set of boxes that were heavier than usual. He also states that he has numbness and tingling in the left leg. He wants to know if he needs to be off of work. What test should you perform to assess for a herniated disc?

A) Leg-length test
B) Straight-leg raiseC) Tinel's test
D) Phalen's test

Answer 1

Answer: B) Straight-leg raise.

Step-by-step explanation:

The straight-leg raise entails having the patient lying down on his back while the medical examiner lifts the leg.

If the patient has sharp pain which spreads from the back down to the leg in an S1 or L5 distribution, it shows that he suffers from a herniated disc.