Do you also have shoulder pain? Let's talk about the Yergason's Test! (Yergason's Test)

Do you also feel pain when you raise your shoulder, lift a weight, or rotate your arm? Perhaps the reason for this is a problem with your biceps muscle. So, today we are talking about a very simple, painless test that a doctor can perform to check if there is a problem with your shoulder at a time like this. This is called the Yergason's test.

What exactly is Yergason's Test?

Simply put, Yergason's test is a physical test that a doctor performs on you. It mainly looks for any damage to a tendon in your biceps muscle, especially the long head of the biceps tendon.

This test also helps to get an idea of ​​several other issues.

• Have you torn the transverse humeral ligament in your shoulder?
• Is there a condition called a `SLAP tear`, which occurs in the cartilage (labrum) inside the shoulder joint?
• Is the tendon of the biceps muscle swollen and inflamed, meaning you have a condition called `biceps tendonitis`?

Before we understand this test, let's learn a little about these parts.

Don't be alarmed when you hear these names. These are very simple things. Let's look at them one by one.

• Biceps muscle: Imagine you're flexing your arm to show someone "big." Then there's a bulge of muscle on the upper part of your arm, called the biceps muscle. This helps us lift weights, bend our elbows, and raise our arms overhead.

• Biceps tendon: Tendons are the strong, band-like structures that connect our muscles to our bones. The biceps muscle has three tendons. Two attach to the shoulder, and one attaches to the elbow. Yergason's test mainly looks at the long head of the biceps tendon that attaches to the shoulder.

• Transverse humeral ligament: This is also a strap-like part. Its job is to hold the long biceps tendon, mentioned above, in the groove it should be in. It's like tightening a cable with a clip to keep it from moving around.

• SLAP tear: Your shoulder joint is a ball and socket joint. The labrum is a ring of cartilage that surrounds the joint. A SLAP tear occurs when this ring is torn or damaged. Since the long tendon of the biceps attaches to this ring, any damage to it can also affect the tendon.

• Biceps tendonitis: This is very simple. This is when the biceps tendon becomes inflamed and painful due to overuse.

So how do you do this Yergason's Test?

This is a very simple test. You can sit in a chair or stand.

1. First, bring your arm close to your body and bend your elbow to 90 degrees. This means that your arm should be in the shape of an 'L' at the elbow. At this point, your palm should be facing the floor.

2. Now the doctor will place a few fingers of one hand on the front of your shoulder, just enough to feel the bicipital groove where the biceps tendon goes.

3. Then, the doctor will hold your wrist with his other hand.

4. Now you're going to do two things. Keep your elbows close to your body and rotate your arm outward, turning your palm upward.

5. As you make this movement, the doctor will provide a little resistance with his hand. This means he will apply a force to make it a little harder for you to rotate your arm.

6. Do the same test on your other arm, which is not in pain, and compare whether there is a difference between the two arms.

What is a 'positive' result?

There are two ways for this test to be 'positive'.

• A 'click' or popping sensation: If the transverse humeral ligament is torn, the biceps tendon will pop out of its groove when you rotate your arm. This popping sensation will feel like a 'click' or 'thump' in the doctor's hand on the shoulder. This means that the ligament that holds the tendon in place has ruptured.

• Pain or tenderness: If you feel pain in the front of your shoulder during the test, it is also considered a 'positive' result. This pain may indicate a condition such as `tendinopathy` (long-term damage to the tendon), `tendinosis` (breakdown of the collagen in the tendon), or `SLAP tear`.

What happens after this test?

After the Yergason's test, your doctor will probably do a few more things.

• In addition, a few other simple physical tests will be performed.
• They recommend doing something like an MRI scan to look inside your shoulder.

After this, a treatment plan will be developed based on your condition. This may include:

• Resting
• Ice melting
• Painkillers and anti-inflammatory medications
• Steroid injections (Cortisone shots)
• Physical therapy
• In some cases, surgery may be performed to remove damaged parts (`debridement`) or to reattach the tendon (`biceps tenotomy` or `tenodesis`).

Some other tests for shoulder pain

In addition to the Yergason's test, there are several other simple tests that doctors use to diagnose shoulder problems. Let's take a brief look at these as well. Take a look at this table.

How accurate are these tests?

Physical tests like these are not 100% accurate. That is, sometimes the results can say 'no' to someone who has the disease, and 'yes' to someone who does not have the disease. That is why a doctor never relies on just one test. He or she comes to a final conclusion by combining the symptoms you describe, the results of several such tests, and, if necessary, scan reports.

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