Gait deviation / abnormality
For: Cervical myelopathy
Compression of the spinal cord in the neck, usually from degenerative narrowing. It can cause clumsy hands, unsteady walking, symptoms in both arms or the legs, and brisk reflexes, though these signs are often absent early.
A weak test on its ownLikelihood ratios as tabulated from the study's data by Jiang et al. 2024; the original paper prints LR+ 3.4.
What the numbers mean
- Positive result: a small shift: a positive result nudges the diagnosis up, but does not settle it.
- Negative result: barely informative: a negative result changes little.
Source
Cook C, Brown C, Isaacs R, Roman M, Davis S, Richardson W. Clustered clinical findings for diagnosis of cervical spine myelopathy. J Man Manip Ther. 2010;18(4):175–180. Journal article (DOI) · single study
Also cited: Jiang Z, Davies B, Zipser C, et al. The value of clinical signs in the diagnosis of degenerative cervical myelopathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Global Spine J. 2024;14(4):1369-1394. Full text (PubMed Central) · likelihood ratios as recalculated in this review
Figures as they will appear in Rule It In, Rule It Out (Trokos, forthcoming). If a newer or better study changes them, this page changes with the book. Figures last updated from the book on 2 October 2026.
Get the book for the neck questions that matter: nerve root or referred pain, which myelopathy signs count, and when a neck after trauma needs imaging
This page gives the published figures. Rule It In, Rule It Out adds how to do this test, what counts as positive, how to read the result, and, where studied, whether combining it with other tests helps.
Coming in late 2026 as a PDF and a paperback. Join the list to hear when it's out
One study, one test, once a month
Rule It In is a free evidence letter for musculoskeletal clinicians: one recent study explained, one examination test with its real numbers. From Trokos, publisher of Rule It In, Rule It Out.