spondylitic referred events are difficult to provoke with active movement tests or other forced compressive manoevres. In most cases , use of these tests will offer little to indicate either presence or absence of referred pain from cervical joints/nerves. It will be possible however to give some hints or indicators when doing AP mobs of the cervical Wikipedia reference-linkfacet joints uilateraly. Of interest are your descriptions of hand/wrist position and tightness , all indicative of severe dural tightness. Also indicative of a central locus of irritation as previously pointed out. Use your hands. Mobilise C5 first of all. Do this in prone with a PA movement till protective tone is reduced. This may take five minutes. Be patient and persistant. Check her symptoms immediately after, you will almost certainly have releived enough in this safe and easy way to gain confidence in the approach. If you go off on a tangent and start massaging her wrist , you may as well give up. The signs are there for you to see a central problem with distal symptoms. Common as cow pats in a dairy. Avoid the temptation to get more detailed "neuro" investigations as simply time wasting. You have plenty of info already .