Phalen's test
For: Carpal tunnel syndrome
Compression of the median nerve in the tunnel at the front of the wrist. Causes tingling and numbness in the thumb, index and middle fingers, often at night.
A weak test on its ownWhat the numbers mean
- Positive result: barely informative: a positive result changes little.
- Negative result: barely informative: a negative result changes little.
Source
Dabbagh A, MacDermid JC, Yong J, Packham TL, Grewal R, Boutsikari EC. Diagnostic test accuracy of provocative maneuvers for the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Phys Ther. 2023;103(6):pzad029. PubMed · meta-analysis
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 how to do and read each wrist and hand test with published figures, and which carpal tunnel test to trust
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.