Palpation
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Palpation
When palpating the patient it is helpful to compare one side of the patient’s body to the other. Every aspect should be investigated during the palpation including the integument, the skeleton and the musculature. The integument may give a clue as to what the diagnosis is, for example an abnormally worn toe-nail may signal a gait defect. The skeleton is palpated for any masses, abnormal range of motion or deviation. Finally the musculature is assessed for size, tone, strength, and pain.