Shoulder pain
Tests
| Name | Link | Purpose | Description |
| Drop arm test | https://www.pthaven.com/page/show/157391-drop-arm-test | To test for supraspinatus pathology | “Patient is seated with examiner to the front. Examiner grasps the patient’s wrist and passively abducts the patient’s shoulder to 90 degrees. Examiner releases the patient’s arm with instructions to slowly lower the arm. Test is positive if the patient is unable to lower his or her arm in a smooth, controlled fashion |
| Yergason's test | https://www.pthaven.com/page/show/157396-yergason-s-test | This test is used to check the ability of the transverse humeral ligament to hold the biceps tendon in the bicipital groove | Patient sits while examiner stands in front. The patient’s elbow is flexed to 90 degrees and the forearm is in a pronated position while maintaining the upper arm at the side. Patient is instructed to supinate arm while examiner concurrently resists forearm supination at the wrist. Localized pain at the bicipital groove indicates a positive test. |
| Full can test | https://www.pthaven.com/page/show/157400-full-can-and-empty-can-test | This test assesses for supraspinatus pathology. | Patient is seated or standing with arm raised in the scapular plane to 30-45 degrees (some authors suggest 90 degreed[1]) with shoulder externally rotated. The therapist applies a downward force just proximal to the patient’s wrist while the patient resists. Test is positive if it elicits pain and/or weakness. |
| Lift-off test | https://www.pthaven.com/page/show/157386-lift-off-test | To test for a lesion of the subscapularis muscle and scapular instability | The patient stands and places the dorsum of the hand against mid-lumbar spine. The patient then lifts his hand away from the back. An inability to perform this action indicates a lesion of the subscapularis muscle. Abnormal motion of the scapula during the test may indicate scapular instability. |
| Hawkins- Kennedy Impingement test | https://www.pthaven.com/page/show/157385-hawkins-kennedy-test | This test looks for supraspinatus tendon impingement | The patient stands while the examiner forward flexes the arm to 90 degrees and then forcibly medially rotates the shoulder. The test may be performed in different degrees of forward flexion or horizontal adduction. |
| Belly press test | https://www.pthaven.com/page/show/157384-belly-compression-test | Tests for subscapularis lesion-especially for patients who cannot medially rotate the shoulder enough to take it behind the back. | |
| Speed's test (Biceps or straight arm test) | https://www.pthaven.com/page/show/157395-speed-s-test | This test looks for biceps muscle or tendon pathology | The patient’s arm is forward flexed to 90 degrees and then the patient is asked to resist an eccentric movement into extension, first with the arm supinated, then pronated. A positive test elicits increased tenderness in the bicipital groove, especially with the arm supinated. |
| Empty Can/ Supraspinatus Test | https://www.pthaven.com/page/show/157400-full-can-and-empty-can-test | A positive test indicates a tear to the supraspinatus tendon or muscle and can also indicate a neuropathy of the suprascapular nerve | The patient actively abducts the arm to 90 degrees with the thumbs up which makes the full can position. The examiner then provides downward pressure on the arm to test the patient’s strength. The patient then elevates the arms to 90 degrees and horizontally adducts 30 degrees to the scapular plane with thumbs down to the empty can position. The examiner provides downward pressure to test the patient’s strength in this position. A positive test for rotator cuff tear is more weakness in the empty can, patient complaint of pain, or both. |
