Fact · Accessibility and health
The AAOS patient guide describes Phalen's test as bending and holding the wrists in a flexed position to test for numbness or tingling.
Checked against its source on October 17, 2026
In the source's own words
“Bend and hold your wrists in a flexed position to test for numbness or tingling in your hands.”
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: OrthoInfo, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, OrthoInfo (AAOS), n.d., Diagnosis, Examination.
Open the original- What it measures
- The guide lists this as one of the bedside checks a clinician may use, alongside Tinel's sign.
- What it does not show
- The guide describes the check, it does not say a self-test is reliable. Test accuracy varies by study (see the diagnosis question).