Test Overview of Kemp's Test

In the Kemp's Test, the patient is standing with their arms folded across their anterior torso and their hands resting on opposite shoulders. The patient is then asked to bend obliquely backwards as if to look down behind themselves. The test is positive for swollen joints in the back if pain is reported to be elicited when turning leftward or rightward [Gear2009]

Test Indications of Kemp's Test

References regarding Kemp's Test

  • [Evans2001] Ronald C. Evans. Illustrated Orthopedic Assessment. St. Louis: Mosby (2001).
  • [Gear2009] Robert L Gear, Jr. Personal communication, (2009). Full text: Full text: http://www.comprehensive.ws/AboutTheDoctors.html#Jr http://www.comprehensive.ws/AboutTheDoctors.html#Jr

    • Unless specifically noted above, references used in the construction of this web page include the following:

    [FMU] Lecture notes from Functional Medicine University.

    [SCNM] Lecture notes from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine.

    [UT] Lecture notes from the University of Tennessee graduate programs in Chemistry, Microbiology, and Biochemistry.