Well Leg Raising Test is most associated with which condition when the unaffected leg is elevated?

• A. Herniated intervertebral disk
• B. Pain in the back
• C. Upper motor neuron lesion
• D. Sciatic nerve irritation/compression

Answer: (A)

Raising the opposite (well) leg provokes nerve-root tension in a way that localizes toward a disc problem on the opposite side. If the patient develops radicular symptoms in the leg that is affected when the unaffected leg is lifted, it suggests a large disc herniation compressing the contralateral nerve root. The mechanism is that the well-leg raise stretches the dural sleeve and nerve roots; with a substantial herniation on the opposite side, this increased tension reproduces the symptoms. This pattern is much more specific for a herniated disk than simple back pain, upper motor neuron signs, or isolated sciatic nerve irritation that would typically be elicited by lifting the leg on the side experiencing symptoms.