As a clinician (physical therapist, occupational therapist, physician, nurse, physician assistant, veterinarian, etc.) you will be using your palpation skills to help you assess the status of your patient (client). You will use your knowledge of anatomy at your fingertips (literally and figuratively), as well as your handling skills, and your knowledge of how to make the structure in question able to be palpated. This lesson uses examples from human anatomy.
There are many reasons for detecting the function and intactness of structures of the body by surface palpation. One of the main reasons is for assessment of health or injury/damage/disease of structures on the skin and also structures deep to the skin by a non-invasive method.