How does extension 'feel' in the physician's hands?

• A. Fingers together and hands backward
• B. Fingers apart and hands forward
• C. Fingers together and hands forward
• D. Fingers apart and hands backward

Answer: (A)

In this style of cranial evaluation, extension is felt as a posterior, lengthening motion of the cranial bones. To sense that subtle change, you want a stable, unified contact with the skull: keep your fingers together so you have a single, continuous sensing surface rather than a spread, looser grip. Position your hands facing backward, toward the occiput, so your contact is oriented to follow the skull’s posterior movement. This compact setup lets you perceives the gentle, outward glide characteristic of extension. Spreading the fingers or pointing the hands forward tends to disrupt the delicate sense of the posterior-directed motion that defines extension.