How to Assess Sensation
1. Explain test purpose & procedures
"Sometimes, a ___ injury can affect how a person feels things. I’d like to check how you are feeling things by touching you on your arms & hands”
2. Explain stimulus & expected response
"I’m going to be using this (cotton swab/pencil/hot or cold probe/paper clip). When you feel it touch you, say ‘yes'"
3. Demonstrate test on self first
"I’m going to touch you like this” (demonstrate on yourself)
4. Demonstrate on client’s less involved side – with visual input
“I’m going to touch you like this” (demonstrate on client)
5. Test less involved side with vision occluded
“Now, I’m going to do the same thing but you can’t see when I touch you” (less involved side, vision occluded, random stim, random location)
6. Test more involved side with vision occluded
“Now, I’m going to do the same thing on the other side” (more involved side, vision occluded, random stim, random location)
1. Explain test purpose & procedures
"Sometimes, a ___ injury can affect how a person feels things. I’d like to check how you are feeling things by touching you on your arms & hands”
2. Explain stimulus & expected response
"I’m going to be using this (cotton swab/pencil/hot or cold probe/paper clip). When you feel it touch you, say ‘yes'"
3. Demonstrate test on self first
"I’m going to touch you like this” (demonstrate on yourself)
4. Demonstrate on client’s less involved side – with visual input
“I’m going to touch you like this” (demonstrate on client)
5. Test less involved side with vision occluded
“Now, I’m going to do the same thing but you can’t see when I touch you” (less involved side, vision occluded, random stim, random location)
6. Test more involved side with vision occluded
“Now, I’m going to do the same thing on the other side” (more involved side, vision occluded, random stim, random location)
- To assess sensation without localization, have client say "yes" when sensation is felt
- To assess sensation with localization, have client say where they feel the sensation felt as in "thumb" or "shoulder"
Documenting Sensation Assessment
- Record as "intact," "impaired," or "absent"
- Intact: correctly identifying sensation
- Impaired: correctly identifies sensations about half of the time
- Absent: no feeling recorded, complete spinal cord injury