A physical therapist performs a slump test on a patient with complaints of intermittent posterior leg pain and numbness. The patient reports increased symptoms when the neck is flexed during the test, but symptoms decrease when the neck is extended while maintaining knee extension and ankle dorsiflexion. What is the MOST accurate interpretation of this finding?

1. The symptoms are likely due to hamstring tightness
2. The test result is negative because pain improved with neck extension
3. The response suggests adverse neural tension involving the spinal cord or nerve roots
4. The findings are consistent with mechanical low back pain from a lumbar paraspinal strain

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