Spine Examination

Consult your professional/s for treatment and rehabilitation as these are academic principle guidelines only and not prescriptive.
ASSIC does not dispense medical and/or exercise advice.
Consult your professional regarding exercise, treatment and rehabilitation exercise regimes and medical advise.
The contents of the following web page are principle guidelines and must be utilized under the supervision of a relevant medical and/or exercise professional.

Examination:

Assess gait pattern
Regional & Local spine examination
Neurovascular assessment

Example of spine conditions

Acute disc herniation

Spinal stenosis

Spinal stenosis with an acute disc herniation

Scoliosis

Pars Interarticularis, Spondylolysis and Spondylolisthesis

Examination

Inspection

Description

Assess bilateral upper limbs.
Look for muscle wasting.

Normal spine anatomy

Examination

C-spine ROM

Lateral flexion

Examination

ROM

Rotation

Neck rotation

Examination

C-spine ROM

Flexion & extension

Examination

T-spine ROM

T-spine

Inspect Palpate

Examination

L-spine ROM

Flexion & extension

Bending forward & backwards

Flexion

Extension

Examination

L-spine ROM

Lateral flexion

Examination

L-spine ROM

Rotation

Rotation

Examination

Sensory cutaneous nerves

Examination

Dermatome assessment

Motor Examination

Muscle power grading

Grade	Description
0	No muscle contraction
1	Trace contraction by palpation while muscle is being contracted
2	Muscle movement but without gravity
3	Muscle movement against gravity but not against resistance
4	Muscle movement against some resistance
5	Muscle against resistance, normal muscle strength

Examine Upper limb power
C5

Resisted shoulder abduction

Examine Upper limb power
C5

Resisted arm flexion

Examine Upper limb power
C5

Resisted wrist extension

Examine Upper limb power
C7

Resisted elbow extension

Examine Upper limb power
C8

Resisted finger flexion

Examine Upper limb power
T1

Resisted finger abduction

Examine Lower limb power
L 1/2

Resisted hip flexion (hip flexor muscles)

Examine Lower limb power
L3

Resisted knee extension

Examine Lower limb power
S1

Resisted foot plantarflexion

Examine Lower limb power
L4

Resisted big toe extension (Extensor Hallucis Longus muscle)

Resisted ankle dorsiflexion

Examine Lower limb power
L5

Resisted hip flexion (hip flexor muscles)

Examination

Reflexes

Lower limb reflexes:

Patellar
Ankle

Patellar reflex test

Examination

Neural tension test

Neural tension tests:

Straight leg raise
Slump test

Spine disc herniation

Spine disc herniation with nerve root compression

Straight leg raise test

Spine Examination

Spine Examination

Examination:

Example of spine conditions

Examination

Inspection

Description

Examination

C-spine ROM

Lateral flexion

Examination

ROM

Rotation

Examination

C-spine ROM

Flexion & extension

Examination

T-spine ROM

T-spine

Examination

L-spine ROM

Flexion & extension

Examination

L-spine ROM

Lateral flexion

Examination

L-spine ROM

Rotation

Examination

Sensory cutaneous nerves

Examination

Dermatome assessment

Motor Examination

Muscle power grading

Examine Upper limb power C5

Resisted shoulder abduction

Examine Upper limb power C5

Resisted arm flexion

Examine Upper limb power C5

Resisted wrist extension

Examine Upper limb power C7

Resisted elbow extension

Examine Upper limb power C8

Resisted finger flexion

Examine Upper limb power T1

Resisted finger abduction

Examine Lower limb power L 1/2

Resisted hip flexion (hip flexor muscles)

Examine Lower limb power L3

Resisted knee extension

Examine Lower limb power S1

Resisted foot plantarflexion

Examine Lower limb power L4

Resisted ankle dorsiflexion

Examine Lower limb power L5

Resisted hip flexion (hip flexor muscles)

Examination

Reflexes

Lower limb reflexes:

Examination

Neural tension test

Neural tension tests:

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Examine Upper limb power
C5

Examine Upper limb power
C5

Examine Upper limb power
C5

Examine Upper limb power
C7

Examine Upper limb power
C8

Examine Upper limb power
T1

Examine Lower limb power
L 1/2

Examine Lower limb power
L3

Examine Lower limb power
S1

Examine Lower limb power
L4

Examine Lower limb power
L5