My doctor had me do this test, what would it be for?

Question

Okay, this is what it was like, but it is really hard to explain so just bear with me here:

Put both of your hands up like you're going to give someone a "double high-five" or you're pushing something away (i.e. fingers spread apart, hands up straight). Then face your palms in towards each other, about 2 inches apart. Bend both of your middle fingers down and press your nail beds together. Then let the rest of your fingers bend slightly so that they're not sticking straight up.

She did NOT have me do all the steps in that order or anything, I was just trying to explain the position that my hands were in. In reality, she just made that same hand position with her own hands and said, "do this." This was an appointment with a gasteroenterologist for evaluation of acid reflux, if that matters.

I'm very curious as to what that test was supposed to do. Maybe she just had a sick fetish, I don't know. SHe was an odd duck. Thanks in advance! I'll pick a best answer TODAY!!!!!!!!!

Answer 1

It sounds like she may have been using a tactic to get you to stop focusing on your patellar (knee cap) reflexes. Sometimes people tense up their thigh muscles and then when the doctor hits your knee with the reflex hammer your knee doesn't kick out like it's supposed to because you are so focused on it. If you are focused on another task, though, such as this cool hand gesture, your body relaxes because instead of focusing on the knee reflex you are focused on your hands. So maybe, she tried to do your knee reflex and wasn't getting a response so she said "Do this" and while you were doing that she tried again and then got the knee kick (or at least tried to).

She could also have been checking for ataxia which can rarely be associated with reflux. Ataxia describes a lack of coordination while performing voluntary movements. It may appear as clumsiness, inaccuracy, or instability. Movements are not smooth and may appear disjointed or jerky. Usually they test that by having you touch your nose then her finger and back and forth, or have you do rapid alternating hand movements (Finger tapping where you tap your thumb to each finger as fast as you can, wrist rotation and front-to-back hand patting where you give a five to your leg then a reverse five with the back of your hand as fast as you can). But it doesn't sound like you were repeating your hand movements, so my stronger guess would be that she was checking your knee reflexes using a distraction tactic.

Answer 2

she was being thorough, she was testing you for ataxia, a neurological deficit that is often associated with reflux disease. If she didn't send you to a neurologist, then you passed the test.