What it means
Bending the wrists fully squeezes the median nerve in the carpal tunnel. Numbness or tingling in the thumb, index and middle fingers within a minute is a positive test and points to carpal tunnel syndrome. It is often done together with the Tinel signtih-NEL sineTingling or pins and needles felt where a nerve goes when the skin over that nerve is tapped.Full entry . It is named after George Phalen, an American hand surgeon.
Remember it
Phalen = Flex; Tinel = Tap.
At a glance
| Also written | Phalen sign, Phalen's maneuver, Phalen's sign, Phalen's test |
|---|
Easy to confuse with
Tinel sign
Tingling or pins and needles felt where a nerve goes when the skin over that nerve is tapped.
Related terms
entrapment
Being caught or trapped, such as a body part caught in a bed's side rails or a nerve squeezed by nearby tissue.
Tinel sign
Tingling or pins and needles felt where a nerve goes when the skin over that nerve is tapped.