▸ Test for ankle clonus. Push up on the ball of the foot, forcibly dorsiflexing the ankle. One or two beats of clonus are normal, he said. “Three or four beats and I'd consider a neurological work-up and/or an MRI.”
▸ Assess hamstring tightness. A popliteal angle up to 30–40 degrees is normal.
▸ Check the feet. “Claw toes or a cavus foot is a sign that something neurological is going on in the spine.”