Ten years. That’s how long Tyler lived with back pain.

It started after a long drive during a camping trip. He shrugged it off at the time—just a sore back, probably from sleeping on the ground. But it never really went away.

Over the next decade, he learned how to “manage” it: stretching every morning, icing after work, avoiding long car rides. He tried massage. Acupuncture. Physical therapy. It helped… a little. But the pain always came back.

Then one day, while hiking in the Siskiyous, his leg gave out on a steep descent. A streak of pain lit up his low back, buttock, and calf.

That’s when he came to see me in my Ashland chiropractic clinic.

I didn’t order another MRI. I didn’t tell him he was broken.

I just asked him to sit on the table—and run through one simple test.

And that’s when everything changed.

What Is the Slump Test?

The slump test is a powerful neurological exam that reveals how your nervous system is handling tension and movement. It’s not just about flexibility—it’s about how safe your brain feels with movement through your spine and legs.

Here’s what we ask you to do:

Sit tall on the edge of the table
Slouch forward (flex your spine)
Tuck your chin to your chest
Extend one leg, then dorsiflex the foot (pull your toes back)

Each step increases tension on your dural system—the connective tissue that wraps your spinal cord and nerve roots. If there’s a mechanosensitive nerve root, this test will often light up familiar pain patterns.

In Tyler’s case? Left leg pain into the foot, identical to his hiking injury. That told us the nerve root was irritated and inflamed, but not necessarily compressed.

Why This Matters More Than an MRI

MRI scans show structure, not sensitivity.

Plenty of people have disc bulges on MRI with no pain at all. Others have little visible change but feel like they’re being electrocuted down the leg.

The slump test helps bridge the gap between imaging and reality. It shows how your body is behaving—not just what it looks like on a screen.

In Tyler’s case, the MRI he had five years ago showed a mild disc protrusion at L5-S1. Nothing had changed since then. But what had changed was the way his nervous system was interpreting that old injury.

The nerve root was now mechanosensitive—reacting to even mild tension like it was a threat. And that’s a completely different problem than a disc herniation compressing a nerve.

What a Positive Slump Test Actually Means

A positive slump test doesn’t mean you need surgery.

What it means is that the dural tissue and nerve root are sensitized—likely due to inflammation, scarring, or altered movement in the spine. This could be from:

A disc injury that’s healed but left residual irritation
Scar tissue “gluing” the nerve in place
Chemical radiculitis (inflammation of the nerve without compression)
Long-term disuse and fear-based guarding of spinal movement

The good news? These are all treatable without surgery.

How We Used the Test to Guide Tyler’s Recovery

Instead of focusing on his old MRI, we used the slump test to track his progress week by week. It became a barometer for how well his nervous system was calming down.

We started with gentle neural mobilizations—also known as nerve flossing—to restore mobility. We paired this with segmental spinal adjustments to improve motion in the joints surrounding the nerve root.

As his movement improved, we added stability work and breathing strategies to retrain his body’s response to stress.

The result?

After six weeks, his slump test was negative. His leg pain was gone. And for the first time in ten years, he took a road trip without fear.

When Listening to Your Body Beats Chasing a Diagnosis

Too often, patients are told their pain is caused by a structural problem on MRI. But structure doesn’t always tell the full story.

Tyler didn’t need another image. He needed a way to understand how his body was responding to movement and tension. The slump test gave us that—and a clear path forward.

In my Ashland chiropractic practice, I use functional, evidence-based exams to decode chronic pain. Because the answers you need aren’t always on a screen. Sometimes, they’re sitting right in front of you—waiting to be tested the right way.

If you’ve been struggling with back or leg pain and you’re tired of chasing dead-end treatments, schedule an exam with us. One simple test could change everything.

References

Butler D, Gifford L. The concept of “centralization” in low back pain: Evaluation by the slump test. Physiotherapy.
Pain in the Frame Course – CDI (2024). “Case Three – Low Back Pain.”
Pain in the Frame Clinical Case 3 – Dr. Anthony Nicholson, DACNB FACO (2024).
Autio RA et al. Determinants of spontaneous resorption of intervertebral disc herniations. Spine. 2006;31(11):1247–1252.
Melzack R, Wall PD. Pain mechanisms: a new theory. Science. 1965;150(3699):971–979.