Low Back Pain: Clinical Practice Guidelines Linked to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health from the Orthopaedic Section of the American Physical Therapy Association

. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2016 Jun 6.

Published in final edited form as: J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2012 Mar 30;42(4):A1–57. doi: 10.2519/jospt.2012.42.4.A1

STRAIGHT LEG RAISE
ICF category	Measurement of impairment of body function – radiating pain in a dermatome; and movement functions, specified as mobility of the meninges, peripheral nerves and adjacent tissues
Description	A dural and lower limb nerve mobility sign
Measurement method	The patient is supine and the therapist passively raises the lower extremity flexing hip with an extended knee. A positive test is obtained with reproduction of lower extremity radiating/radicular pain
Nature of variable	Categorical
Units of measurement	Positive or Negative
Measurement properties	The straight leg raise test has demonstrated good reliability (k=0.68) for identifying pain in a dermatomal distribution.³⁰¹
Instrument variations	None