palpation
Last reviewed 01/2018
With the patient standing and then perhaps later, lying supine, palpate the back for the:
- skin temperature
- deformity of the spine - steps or a steady contour ?
- vertebral tenderness - localised or general ?
- paraspinal spasm and muscle tenderness
- sacro-iliac tenderness in sacroileitis
Elsewhere:
- feel for peripheral pulses
- palpate groin and abdomen for abscesses
- if diagnosis is still uncertain, carry out full thoracic, abdominal, rectal and vaginal examination