Valsalva maneuver – What is the purpose, indication and relevance?

Valsalva’s Test: Client is seated and flexes forward, takes a deep breath and bears down internally as though evacuating the bowels

Purpose:

• Assess presence of space-occupying lesion that increases pressure within spinal canal

Indications:

• Neurological pain

Relevance:

• Positive test – local pain or radiating pain along the pathway is indicative of a space occupying lesion

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This post was written by Omar Rifai