Palpation: An Essential Tool

Why Palpation Still Matters

Palpation is simple. We use our hands and finger pads to feel. To press. To notice what moves and what doesn’t. What’s tender and what’s not. It seems straightforward—but requires repetition and recognition. And it’s often overlooked, leaving patients frustrated and providers confused.

In a world filled with imaging, AI tools, and sensors, we’re told to rely on data. However, skilled palpation techniques are often capable of serving both as tools for diagnostic assessment as well as concurrent manual treatment.

It’s not old-school. It’s essential.

Palpation tells us more than just where it hurts. It shows us where the tension sits, where the alignment shifts, where tissue feels dense, tight, or just… painful.

It teaches pattern recognition. And that’s key in movement work. Especially when dealing with pain, compensation, or injury.

Good palpation builds trust with patients.

When we use our hands with purpose—not guessing, not poking—it shows people that we know what we’re doing. It builds confidence. In ourselves. In the work our patients are about to do with us together towards healing and recovery.

It also teaches you to slow down.

We can’t rush through palpation and expect to learn anything. We must take the time to listen and feel with our hands. Pay attention. Be patient. That’s where the insight is.

Most movement issues don’t start at the obvious spot. Someone’s foot hurts—but the issue may be higher up in the hip, pelvis, or even spine. Good palpation lets us trace and understand compensatory changes along the entire kinetic chain. It gives us a way to check our theory in real time, with our hands.

If we want to understand motion, we must start with palpation. Real, mindful (and professional) touch during physical examination. Not just to physically find palpable problems—but to also build presence and trust. Palpation is more than a physical examination technique; it is a means to connect with our patients at the sources of their musculoskeletal symptoms.

Strive to use it with diligence.