Treatments & Therapies

Palpation – Treatment, Effect & Risks

Palpation

Palpation refers to touching and corresponds to one of the oldest and most basic examination methods . The most well-known palpation is that of the arteries to measure the pulse rate . However, organs or tissue structures are also touched in order to identify pathological changes.

What is palpation?

The term palpation comes from the Latin verb “palpare”. Literally translated, palpare means to caress. In medicine, palpation means examination by touch. Both directly accessible structures on the body surface and indirectly accessible structures under the skin or other covering layers can be scanned.

This examination procedure is the basis of all examination techniques used in clinical practice and is one of the oldest procedures of all. Like auscultation , percussion and inspection, palpation is one of the physical or clinical examinations. Under this generic term, the physician summarizes all examination methods that he carries out with his own senses and little or no additional aids.

As part of the manual touch, the doctor wants to identify the first indications of pathological processes in the internal organs or tissue structures. Inspection, on the other hand, means looking at the naked body. Auscultation is listening to your ears and with percussion the doctor taps the body. Palpation is often combined with one of these further clinical examinations.

Function, effect & goals

The most common and well-known palpation is that of the arteries, which is used to determine the pulse rate. A palpation can, for example, also take place on the eyeball . Feeling this part of the body can help the doctor to assess the pressure in the eye. The abdomen or the lower abdomen are also frequently palpated in order to detect pathological processes in the abdominal organs.

The gynecologist , on the other hand, regularly palpates the female breast . This palpation takes place in particular in the week after menstruation and may allow the doctor to identify lumps. During pregnancy , the gynecologist also feels the uterus to monitor its growth. Palpation is also performed on the salivary glands and the ducts of these glands. For example, stones can be identified manually. On the other hand, palpation of the liver gives the doctor information about the consistency and size of the organ. These two properties can reflect pathological processes under certain circumstances.

When palpating the lymph nodes , the doctor may see tumors or inflammation in different parts of the body. In addition to those mentioned, body parts such as the aorta , the joints , the testicles , the prostate or the muscles and tendons can also be examinedto palpate for pathological changes. During palpation, the doctor usually assesses five different properties. In addition to the size, he examines the strength, flexibility, mobility and also the sensitivity to pain of the body structure. In technical terms, these five properties are also known as dimension, consistency, elasticity, mobility and tenderness.

Based on these five characteristics, the doctor can, for example, rule out or suggest appendicitis by palpating the appendix . Palpation is either manual or bimanual. In this context, manual means touching it with one hand. With bimanual palpation, on the other hand, the touch is carried out with both hands. Bimanual palpations usually scan abdominal organs. One of the hands slips into an investigative role. The other hand brings the examining hand closer to the respective organ and thus enables touching.

Risks, side effects & dangers

Palpation can be painful for the patient . Sometimes there is even severe pain, since the organ or body structure touched is absolutely indolent as far as pain on pressure is concerned. Inflammation or other diseases of the tissue can also cause pain during palpation.

However, this pain is usually short-lived and usually subsides as soon as the pressure is relieved. Since the tenderness on pressure is an important clue in palpation, pressure pain can ultimately even be helpful in making a diagnosis. As a rule, palpation is not associated with any risks or side effects for the patient. However, certain palpations can feel uncomfortable. This applies, for example, to palpation of the prostate. This prostate palpation usually takes place rectally. The doctor penetrates the anus, which is associated with an unpleasant feeling for many people. In addition, prostate apalpation is often preceded by enemas intended to empty the bowel.

Most patients do not find this procedure particularly pleasant either. As a rule, the patient is not allowed to eat before the prostate palpation. Despite these circumstances, patients generally find the touching less stressful than previously assumed. Palpation is sometimes referred to as a low-sensitivity and non-specific method. The result of a touch depends heavily on the skill, intuition and experience of the doctor performing the procedure.

If a doctor has never touched a prostate before, it will be difficult for him to detect abnormal tissue changes in the prostate, for example. If you have little experience, you will also hardly be able to assess which clinical pictures the detected changes could indicate. Unlike in the distant past, a palpation is not enough to make a diagnosis today, but mostly only serves to clarify which subsequent diagnostic procedures could make sense.

Lisa Newlon
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Hello! I am Lisa Newlon, and I am a medical writer and researcher with over 10 years of experience in the healthcare industry. I have a Master’s degree in Medicine, and my deep understanding of medical terminology, practices, and procedures has made me a trusted source of information in the medical world.