The upper limb neural tension test for the median nerve is used to assess which condition?

• A. Median nerve entrapment/compression
• B. Ulnar nerve entrapment
• C. Radial nerve palsy
• D. Cervical radiculopathy

Answer: (A)

The median nerve neural tension test is a neurodynamic maneuver that specifically tensions the median nerve as it travels from the brachial plexus to the hand. When there is entrapment or compression along its path—such as in carpal tunnel syndrome at the wrist or pronator teres syndrome in the forearm—tensioning the nerve reproduces the patient’s symptoms in the median nerve distribution. This makes the test most useful for identifying median nerve entrapment/compression.

It isn’t used to diagnose ulnar nerve entrapment or radial nerve palsy, which require tests tailored to those nerves and their typical distributions. Cervical radiculopathy involves nerve roots at the spine, and while neural tension tests can help differentiate peripheral nerve involvement from radicular pain, this particular test targets the peripheral median nerve specifically.