BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuPhysical examinationDuring a physical examination, a health care provider checks your body to determine if you do or do not have a physical problem.A physical examination usually includes:Inspection (looking at the body) InspectionIn medical terms, "inspection" means to look at the person or body part. It is the first step in a physical exam.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Palpation (feeling the body with fingers or hands) PalpationPalpation is a method of feeling with the fingers or hands during a physical examination. The health care provider touches and feels your body to ex...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Auscultation (listening to sounds, usually with a stethoscope) AuscultationAuscultation is listening to the sounds of the body during a physical examination.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Percussion (producing sounds, usually by tapping on specific areas of the body) PercussionPercussion is a method of tapping body parts with fingers, hands, or small instruments as part of a physical examination. It is done to determine:Th...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Open ReferencesReferencesSwartz MH, Swartz TH. The physical examination. In: Swartz MH, ed. Textbook of Physical Diagnosis: History and Examination. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 6.AllVideoImagesTog Tests for Physical examination Standard eye examRelated Information Inspection(Special Topic)Palpation(Special Topic)Auscultation(Special Topic)Percussion(Special Topic) Review Date: 2/2/2023 Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Clinical Professor, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. © 1997- All rights reserved. A.D.A.M. content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.Content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.
Physical examinationDuring a physical examination, a health care provider checks your body to determine if you do or do not have a physical problem.A physical examination usually includes:Inspection (looking at the body) InspectionIn medical terms, "inspection" means to look at the person or body part. It is the first step in a physical exam.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Palpation (feeling the body with fingers or hands) PalpationPalpation is a method of feeling with the fingers or hands during a physical examination. The health care provider touches and feels your body to ex...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Auscultation (listening to sounds, usually with a stethoscope) AuscultationAuscultation is listening to the sounds of the body during a physical examination.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Percussion (producing sounds, usually by tapping on specific areas of the body) PercussionPercussion is a method of tapping body parts with fingers, hands, or small instruments as part of a physical examination. It is done to determine:Th...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Open ReferencesReferencesSwartz MH, Swartz TH. The physical examination. In: Swartz MH, ed. Textbook of Physical Diagnosis: History and Examination. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 6.