Understanding the Valsalva Maneuver Assessment
To increase **intra-abdominal and intrathecal pressure** to provoke symptoms related to a space-occupying lesion in the spinal canal (e.g., disc herniation, tumor).
Watch How It's Done
How do I start?
Patient is sitting or standing.
What happens?
The patient is instructed to **take a deep breath, hold it, and bear down** (as if having a bowel movement).
In Plain English
What Does a Positive Result Mean?
Reproduction of **low back or radicular pain** (shooting into the leg) during the maneuver.
Helpful Tip:
The increased pressure pushes on the dura and nerve roots, aggravating pain from a disc herniation or other mass.
Safety First
This guide is to help you understand what happens in a clinic. Do not try to diagnose yourself. If you have severe pain, swelling, or cannot put weight on your leg, please visit an urgent care center or your doctor immediately.
Other Lumbar Spine Tests
Lasegue's Sign (Straight Leg Raise - SLR)
To assess for tension or irritation of the **Sciatic Nerve** (L4-S3 nerve roots), typically due to a **Lumbar Disc Herniation**.
Slump Test
A highly sensitive test to assess for **neural tension** or irritation of the spinal cord and nerve roots, often due to disc pathology or stenosis.