PHALEN'S TEST FOR CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME If your patient is complaining about shooting, burning, tooth ache-like pain, pins and needles as well as possible changes in sensation or strength in the hand, it should make you think about peripheral nerve pathology. A very common condition, other than cervical nerve root pathology, is carpal tunnel syndrome. The Phalen's test is a special test, which can distinguish CTS from nerve root compression. According to Brüske et al. (2002), it has a sensitivi