Client Assessment & Treatment Planning
Gather information, collaborate, and adapt care within your role.
Lesson 4 of 10
Palpation
Palpation is the deliberate use of touch to notice qualities such as surface temperature, tissue movement, or client-reported tenderness. It requires permission, clear communication, appropriate draping, and a respectful response to feedback. Findings are subjective and can vary with pressure, position, and context. Use palpation to inform a massage decision within scope, not to claim a medical diagnosis.
Key points
- Explain the purpose and general area of touch and obtain consent before palpating.
- Begin with a light, predictable contact and ask about comfort before changing pressure or location.
- Use broad contact and compare gently when comparison is relevant; do not press through guarding or pain to ‘confirm’ an impression.
- Distinguish what you perceive from what the client reports, and document the source of each observation.
- Adapt or stop if touch causes unexpected pain, numbness, distress, or another concerning response.
- Interpret findings cautiously alongside history and the client’s goals; refer concerns outside massage scope.
Key terms
- Palpation
- Assessment by purposeful touch to notice tissue or surface qualities.
- Tissue texture
- A descriptive impression of how tissue feels under a particular touch and context.
- Tenderness
- Discomfort reported in response to pressure or touch.
- Guarding
- Involuntary or protective resistance that may arise during movement or touch.
Memory tip
Use the least pressure needed to answer a relevant question, and let the client’s feedback guide you.
Clinical note
Palpated differences are not, by themselves, reliable evidence of a specific pathology or structural defect.
Unit checkpoint
Lock it in: match the terms, then test yourself.