What Is the Pull Test for Parkinson's Disease?

Parkinson's disease is a neurological disorder that affects many areas, including movement and posture. The pull test is used to measure the problems with posture in the disease.

Identification

• The pull test for Parkinson's disease specifically measures postural instability, which is the relative ability or inability to recover from falling, according to Wemove.org, an education organization for movement disorders.

Procedure

• In the pull test, the individual being tested is asked to maintain her balance while an examiner pulls her backward.

Significance

• The pull test has been incorporated into the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, which is used to compare the severity of Parkinson's symptoms.

Considerations

• Variations in testing procedures may make the pull test somewhat inaccurate, according to Ann Hunt, of Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, and Kapil Sethi, of the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, Ga.

Other Tests

• Other tests used to diagnose Parkinson's disease include measuring the speed of movements and inspecting muscle rigidity.