SITTING ROOT TEST

(Sitting Straight Leg Raise Test)

​• Test positioning

The client sits with the hip flexed to 90-degrees and the cervical spine in flexion.

​• Action

The client actively extends the knee.

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​• Positive finding

The client who arches backward and/or complains of pain in the regions of the buttocks, posterior thigh and calf during knee extension demonstrates a positive finding for possible sciatic nerve pain.

​• Special considerations & comments

This test can be reproduced with the therapist passively extending the client's knee.

True sciatic pain should still cause the client to react.

However, if the therapist's actions distract the client from being aware of the area being tested the client may respond differently.

For example, if the therapist stabilized and visualized the foot during extension of the knee, the client may be unaware that the therapist is really testing for sciatic tension.

The Sitting Root Test, also known as the Sitting Straight Leg Raise Test, incorporates principles from Dr. Robert Elvey’s work on neural tension and Dr. James Cyriax’s contributions to lumbar spine and sciatic nerve assessments.