The “Modified Prayer Test”: a new clinical test for the diagnosis of anterosuperior dysfunction of sternoclavicular joint: SRJI 2014 Vol 3 Issue 2 Pages 1-4

Abstract

Purpose: A new clinical test for the diagnosis of anterosuperior dysfunction of the sternoclavicular joint is described. This prospective study on four groups of patients divided subjects on the basis of type of sternoclavicular dysfunction (by shrug test and prayer test). The hypothesis was that this clinical test would be diagnostic the patients, osteopaths, therapists and patients.

Methods: In a period of 4 months, a team of 5 osteopaths and 5 physiotherapists from St. Louis University Institute of Health and Biomedical Sciences (Cameroon) and Academy of Krishna’s Kinetikinematic Manual Therapy (India) collected data on 300 patients with sternoclavicular joint dysfunction and 100 individuals without sternoclavicular joint dysfunction. Patients were divided into 4 equally sized groups on the basis of the finding of the aforementioned tests. Group A consisted 100 patients with positive shrug test, Group B consisted 100 patients with positive prayer test, Group C consisted 100 patients with positive shrug test and prayer test both, and Group D consisted 100 individuals with negative shrug or prayer test.

Results: At end of the study, Modified Prayer test was found as sensitive as the Shrug test and Prayer test. But the Modified Prayer test proved to save 44.14% time in diagnosing sternoclavicular dysfunction.

Conclusion: Modified Prayer test was sensitive to diagnose both inferior and posterior dysfunction. The clinical relevance is that it may save time of the clinicians in diagnosing a two dimensional dysfunction.

Keywords: Sternoclavicular joint, Somatic Dysfunction, Shrug test, Prayer test, Modified Prayer test