Exam by body system

How to examine the spine

Other platforms explain it with text and video. In VMS you practice it on the patient.

MD / DOPA
Practice it in VR with Blocky

The spine exam pairs a look at the back with a neuro exam of the legs.

Step by step

  1. Look

    Posture, curves, scoliosis, muscle spasm. [1]

  2. Feel

    Bones and muscles; tenderness over a vertebra is a concern after trauma or with fever. [1]

  3. Move

    Bend forward, back, sideways, twist. [1]

  4. Straight leg raise

    Lift the straight leg: pain down the leg between 30 and 70 degrees suggests a nerve root. [1]

  5. Neuro

    Leg strength, reflexes, sensation; saddle sensation and bladder if red flags. [2]

  6. Other causes

    Hips, abdomen, pulses (aortic aneurysm). [2]

Common errors

Practice it in VMS

In VMS you do this on the patient, not on paper: every step goes on the checklist with a score, and in Teach mode Blocky tells you what comes next.

VMS cases that train this skill

22 VMS cases train this skill: open the case library

Sources

  1. Stanford Medicine 25 (bedside exam)
  2. NCCPA PANCE Content Blueprint
  3. Open RN, Nursing Skills 2e (Chippewa Valley Technical College) (CC BY 4.0)

Steps adapted from Open RN, Nursing Skills 2e (Chippewa Valley Technical College), licensed under CC BY 4.0. Facts and steps also follow NCCPA PANCE Content Blueprint; Stanford Medicine 25 (bedside exam). VMS is not affiliated with these organizations. Updated: 2026-10-11.