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Spurling's test
System: Muscles, Bones & Joints Signs · All muscles, bones & joints signs
What it is — and how it is elicited
With the neck extended and tilted toward the painful side, gentle downward pressure on the head reproduces radiating arm pain.
What a positive finding suggests
Associated with compression of a cervical nerve root in the neck, as in cervical radiculopathy.
◈ Behind the name
Roy Glenwood Spurling (1894–1968), American neurosurgeon.
Related signs — Muscles, Bones & Joints Signs
Browse the S section of the A–Z list or return to the Clinical Signs hub.
Please note: This page is an educational reference about clinical examination signs. A clinical sign supports — and never replaces — a full clinical evaluation, examination and appropriate testing. A sign being present does not by itself prove a diagnosis, and an absent sign does not rule one out. If you have symptoms that worry you, see a health professional.