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Waddell's signs
System: Muscles, Bones & Joints Signs · All muscles, bones & joints signs
What it is — and how it is elicited
A set of five examination findings in back pain — such as pain from light touch or from simulated rotation — that do not fit an anatomical pattern.
What a positive finding suggests
Associated with a significant non-organic, psychological or behavioural component to chronic low back pain; they do not prove symptoms are feigned.
◈ Behind the name
Gordon Waddell (1942–2017), Scottish orthopaedic surgeon.
Related signs — Muscles, Bones & Joints Signs
Browse the W 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.