Palpation - the red headed stepchild

Anyone else enjoy palpation at all? I feel like it's underrated kind of like dopplers...opinions?

This obviously will not be superfluous during auscultation and is also very sexy....☺️

I love palpation of the apex. There’s a reason why I’m always the person on the outside when cuddling (spooning). 😍

Definitely underrated. Fun part of a play exam, and sometimes you can find out more about their heart that way.

Before I listen to a woman's heart, I always palpate the apex and feel over her aortic arch Depending on the size of the breast, I can sometimes feel the heart while examining the left breast, and I have felt a pounding heart through a DD breast. I always auscultate the abdomen and then do deep palpation. Palpate then auscultate the carotids.

You can learn a lot with palpation. It is underused! Another physical diagnosis method I don't know has even been mentioned is percussion. I think it's just about disappeared with modern methodologies but when I was in medical school and training it was occasionally of value plus it was kinda fun to learn and do.

BTW I see tutorials on percussion exist on YouTube

I love palpation in play exams, both in the patient role and the doctor role. As the doc I'll remove my partners bra and feel her chest before going on to listen, and also enjoy feeling her belly. As the patient I'll enjoy having my chest felt with her hands and then later her telling me to lie back and "I'm just going to have a feel of your tummy".

Palpation is a great adjunct in a play exam. The sensation as the patient of having someone touching your bare chest and feeling your heart beating inside you I think is a sensual and erotic component to the exam. As a play doctor I think its equally a great sensual experience too and definitely helps you put the patient in a more vulnerable position. I think making comments like "your heart is beating pretty hard right now" really heightens the experience too.

I personally have never had a doppler in a play exam, but I think it could be a lot of fun, especially doing things like checking pulse points (particularly the femoral). Equally makes the patient aware of how they are getting more nervous/excited.