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Palpation: A Chiropractic Art

You may have heard us use the words “palpate” or “palpation” – but do you know what these words mean?

Palpation is one of the most basic diagnostic tools we chiropractors use to examine the spine for the purpose of locating and reducing nerve interference. In its simplest form, it is the use of a chiropractor’s hands to touch and “feel” exactly where and how the spine needs to be adjusted. It is the first diagnostic tool a chiropractor learns in chiropractic college and the basis of the art and science of chiropractic. In fact, the very word chiropractic means, “done by hand.”

Palpation is an essential skill that improves with daily practice. Over time, a chiropractor learns to master this procedure to discover a vast array of information that is contained in body tissue. Unlike the use of other diagnostic instruments that are learned and mastered in a relatively short period, palpation provides an ongoing learning experience, as no two patients ever “feel” the same way.

Since the hands are the basic “tools” of the chiropractic profession, palpation is the very basis of the art and science of chiropractic diagnosis. Chiropractic history is replete with stories of blind chiropractors who were extraordinary chiropractors because they had such a highly developed sense of touch!