Which is not a feature of the slump test?

• A. Sitting with trunk slumped
• B. Neck flexion
• C. Knee extension added sequentially
• D. Standing upright with back arched

Answer: (D)

The slump test examines neural tissue tension in the lower limb by placing the spine in a seated, slumped posture and progressively increasing tension through additional movements. The setup starts with the person seated and slumped to heighten neural loading along the entire chain. Then neck flexion is added to further tension the neural elements, and knee extension is performed to continue increasing strain along the sciatic pathway. In many protocols, ankle dorsiflexion may also be added for extra tension.

Standing upright with the back arched does not align with how the slump test is performed. This position reduces the slump and alters spinal alignment away from the deliberate slumped posture that loads the neural structures, so it’s not a feature of the slump test.

Therefore, standing upright with back arched is the not-feature of the slump test.