Test library › Low back & pelvis
Straight Leg Raise (SLR)
For: Disc herniation with nerve root compression
Disc material pushes out beyond the edge of the disc and presses on a nerve root in the low back, usually L5 or S1, causing leg pain (sciatica) and sometimes numbness or weakness.
A weak test on its ownWhat the numbers mean
- Positive result: barely informative: a positive result changes little.
- Negative result: a small shift: a negative result nudges the diagnosis down, but does not exclude it.
Source
Devillé WL, van der Windt DA, Dzaferagić A, Bezemer PD, Bouter LM. The test of Lasègue: systematic review of the accuracy in diagnosing herniated discs. Spine. 2000;25(9):1140–1147. PubMed · systematic 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.
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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.
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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.