Master the Art of Back Pain Relief 2026 – Train, Test, and Triumph!

A positive straight leg raise test is indicated when a patient is unable to lift the leg to 30 degrees due to pain or discomfort radiating down the leg, often suggesting nerve root involvement, typically in cases of lumbar disc herniation. The main purpose of the straight leg raise test is to assess for lumbar radiculopathy by putting tension on the sciatic nerve and assessing how the patient's leg responds.

When a patient is unable to lift their leg to that angle without significant discomfort, it is a strong indicator of underlying issues, such as herniated discs that might be compressing or irritating the nerve roots. This finding can help clinicians pinpoint the source of the patient's back pain and guides further diagnostic and treatment approaches.

The other options do not demonstrate the same level of relevance to diagnosing conditions like radiculopathy; for instance, raising the leg beyond 30 degrees or experiencing a strong pull in the hip without pain does not provide the critical information about nerve involvement that a positive result does. Similarly, a patient feeling no pain during the test would typically indicate a negative result, thus not contributing to the assessment of nerve issues.