Back Pain Treatment Training Practice Test 2025 – Your All-in-One Guide to Mastering Treatment Techniques

A positive straight leg raise test is often indicative of nerve root irritation or lumbar disc herniation, particularly affecting the sciatic nerve. When a patient experiences a straight leg raise, if they report pain that shoots down the leg, it typically suggests that there's irritation of the nerve roots that may be caused by an underlying condition such as a herniated disc. This type of pain, often described as radiating or neuropathic pain, follows a specific path down the leg and is consistent with sciatica.

In contrast, pain that radiates to the hip only does not encompass the characteristic distribution of nerve root pain associated with a positive straight leg raise. The absence of radiating pain altogether would not align with the expectations from the test, as this test specifically aims to provoke symptoms related to nerve root involvement. Lastly, pain that alleviates when sitting down is not typically associated with the straight leg raise test, as the test usually aims to reproduce pain through leg elevation, suggesting potential nerve entrapment or irritation. Thus, the correct answer reflects the typical symptom pattern observed when a straight leg raise test elicits the neurological response associated with lower back pathologies.