Which tests are classic examples of neural tension testing used to assess neural tissue mobility?

• A. Straight leg raise and slump test.
• B. Hip abduction strength testing.
• C. Spinal percussion test.
• D. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Answer: (A)

Neural tension testing asks how freely neural tissue slides and tolerates stretch along its pathway. The straight leg raise and slump test are classic examples because they intentionally place tension on the neural axis, particularly the sciatic nerve and lumbar nerve roots, to see if symptoms reproduce and how movement affects neural mobility. In the straight leg raise, lifting the leg with the knee straight increases tension along the neural pathway from the spine to the foot, so reproduction of radicular symptoms suggests neural involvement. The slump test adds positions that further bias the nervous system—slumping the spine, flexing the neck, extending the knee, and dorsiflexing the ankle—to maximize tension and assess mobility and tolerance beyond what a straight leg raise alone shows. This helps distinguish neural sources of pain from purely musculoskeletal issues. The other options don’t test neural tissue mobility: hip abduction strength checks hip muscle strength, spinal percussion looks for tenderness, and MRI provides static imaging rather than dynamic neural mobility.