Neer’s Test

Neer’s test is a physical movement exam healthcare providers use to diagnose shoulder impingement. It’s an in-office physical exam. Your provider can perform it without any special equipment or a separate appointment.

Shoulder impingement is painful pinching around your shoulder when you move it. It happens when the parts of your shoulder joint pinch or squeeze your rotator cuff.

How does Neer’s test work?

Neer’s test helps your provider check your shoulder’s range of motion. This is how far you can move it without pain. There’s a good chance you have shoulder impingement if you feel pain when you lift your arm up and close to your ear. The test is simple and easy to do. It follows these steps:

1. You’ll stand with your arms at your side.
2. Your healthcare provider will stand next to you. They’ll gently press on the top of your shoulder. This gentle pressure holds your shoulder blade in place.
3. They’ll rotate your arm so your thumb points down and your palm faces out, away from your body.
4. Holding your palm in that position, your provider will slowly lift your arm up. This is called checking your passive range of motion.

Holding your arm in this position and moving it up will gently pinch your rotator cuff if you have shoulder impingement. That’s why some providers call this Neer’s sign. Pain with your arm raised at the top of this motion is a sign of impingement.

Your provider might do Neer’s test on both arms. This can help them understand your normal range of motion when you’re not in pain.

What are the risks of this test?

Neer’s test has no risks or side effects. You might feel some pain if you have impingement. But the test only takes seconds to perform. And your provider won’t force you to do anything that could damage your shoulder. Any discomfort you feel can go a long way to diagnosing what’s causing the pain.

What type of results do you get and what do the results mean?

Your healthcare provider will classify a Neer’s test as positive or negative. A positive test means you felt pain with your arm raised, and they think you have shoulder impingement. A negative result means you didn’t feel pain during the test.

A negative result doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t need other tests. You still might have shoulder impingement. Or there may be another issue affecting your shoulder.

A Neer’s test might be all your healthcare provider needs to diagnose shoulder impingement. But they’ll probably suggest some imaging tests to confirm the impingement and take pictures of your shoulder. You might need:

• X-rays
• MRI
• Ultrasound

Your healthcare provider will tell you which treatments you’ll need. What’s best for you depends on which type of impingement you have and what’s causing it.

When should I call my doctor?

Visit a healthcare provider if you have shoulder pain or other symptoms that last more than a few days. Shoulder pain is very common, and lots of issues can cause it. But trust your gut. Don’t ignore pain, stiffness or other symptoms. You know when something feels off, especially if you use your shoulders a lot for physical activities or work.