Gower's sign indicates weakness in which muscle group?

• A. Proximal muscles of the legs and hips
• B. Distal hand muscles
• C. Neck muscles
• D. Face muscles

Answer: (A)

Gower’s sign reflects weakness of the proximal muscle groups, especially the hip girdle and thigh muscles. When rising from the floor, a person with this pattern can’t extend the hips and knees with strong power, so they compensate by placing their hands on the thighs and pushing up to stand, then bringing the torso upright. This use of the arms to assist from the floor is the telltale sign of proximal weakness, commonly seen in Duchenne muscular dystrophy and other proximal myopathies.

Distal hand muscles wouldn’t cause this rise-and-pull pattern, neck muscle weakness would present with head control issues, and facial muscle weakness would show facial weakness rather than a compensatory standing technique.