2. What Is Palpation?
• Palpation is as much an act of the mind
as it is of the palpating fingers. Sensory
stimuli entering through the therapist's
• hands must be correlated with a
knowledge base of anatomy.
4. Move Slowly
Moving too quickly or
frenetically jumping around the client's body does not allow
for effective and mindful palpation.
5. Use Appropriate Pressure
1. most new therapists use too little pressure, prob
ably because they are afraid of hurting the client
2. With a stronger knowledge base of the underlying anatomand
more hands-on experience, this fear usually recedes
6. How to Learn Palpation
A long-standing exercise to learn palpation is to take a hair
and place it under a page of a textbook without seeing where
you placed it. With your eyes closed, palpate for the hair until you
find it.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13. Functional Characteristics of Muscle Tissue
normal resting length
Irritability
Contractility
Extensibility
Elasticity
16. Muscle types. Cardiac, smooth, and skeletal muscles
are the three types in the human body. Each has a unique
structure and location reflecting its function.
20. Pivot Number of
Planes/Axes
Movement
possible
examples
Uniaxial Rotation Atlantoaxial
joint
Radioulnar
joints
21. Ellipsoid/condyloid
Number of
Planes/Ax
es
Movement
possible
examples
Biaxial Flexion
Adduction
Atlantoocci
pital joint
Extension Metacarpo
phalangeal
joints
Abduction Radiocarp
al joints
(or lateral
flexion in
spine)
22. Saddle
Number of
Planes/Axes
Movement
possible
examples
Biaxial Flexion 1 st
Carpometacarp
al
joint (thumb)
extension
abbduction
adduction
23. Giding Number
of
Planes/A
xes
Moveme
nt
possible
example
s
Nonaxial N/A Acromioc
lavicular
joint
Intercarp
al joints
39. Palpation of the brachialis with the forearm
fully
Palpation of the brachialis with the forearm
fully
pronated
Palpation of the brachialis with the forearm fully
pronated
53. Epicondylitis
• Overuse condition caused by repeated overload of the
musculotendinous units attaching to one of the epicondyles
• Also due to: faulty techniques/mechanics, weak muscle groups,
inappropriate equipment
• Lateral
• Tennis elbow
• Medial
• Golfer’s elbow
• Thrower’s elbow
• Pitcher’s elbow
56. Epicondylitis—Signs & Symptoms
• Local tenderness over involved epicondyle
• Pain on use of involved muscles
• Swelling
• Resisted wrist motion often reproduces
pain
57. Epicondylitis—Treatment
• Preventative measures:
• Proper technique
• Use of appropriate equipment
• Limited stress
• Proper/adequate warm-up
• Stretch to maintain flexibility
• RICE
• Modify activities that aggravate condition
• Decrease amount, frequency, or intensity of
activity
58. Sprains of the Elbow
• Result from:
• Hyperextension
• Valgus/varus force
• Signs/Symptoms
• “click” or “pop”
• Sharp pain at time of injury
• Point tenderness
• Localized swelling
• Paint with attempt to
reproduce MOI
• Extension may be limited
• Treatment
• Special tests
• Progressive rehab
• Bracing
• Depends on degree of injury
59. Elbow Dislocations
• Second most frequently dislocated major joint
• Posterior displacement of ulna and radius in relationship to humerus
most common
• Result of FOOSH with elbow in extension
• Collateral ligament will be severely stretched or ruptured
60.
61. Elbow Dislocation
Signs & Symptoms
• Obvious deformity
• Loss of elbow function
• PAIN
• Check for:
• Circulation
• Nerve function
• Properly immobilized
• Refer immediately
Treatment
• Prompt reduction important
• Rehab based on injury
62. Fractures of the
Elbow and Forearm
• Result of:
• Direct trauma
• Indirect stresses transmitted through UE (FOOSH)
• Excessive forces associate with throwing and swinging activities
• Most frequent in children and skeletally immature athletes
63. Volkmann’s Contracture
• Occurs in absence of blood flow (ischemia) to forearm
• Caused by increased pressure due to:
• Swelling
• Trauma
• fracture
• Blood vessels compress, decreasing blood flow to arm
• ® injury to muscles, causing it to shorten
• Pulls on joint at end of muscle just as it would if it were normally
contracted
64. Volkmann’s Contracture
• Wrist remains flexed and cannot be straightened
• Causes fingers to form fist and flex the wrist
• Muscles involved are on palm side of forearm
• Three levels of severity:
• Mild—two/three fingers only; no or limited loss of sensation
• Moderate—all fingers flexed; thumb stuck in palm; wrist stuck in
flexion; usually loss of some sensation
• Severe—all muscles in forearm involved; completely disabling
65. Volkmann’s Contracture
Signs & Symptoms
• Severe pain with passive movement
• Forearm tensely swollen and shiny
• Pain when forearm squeezed
• Pain not improve with rest
• Continue to get worse over time
• If condition not corrected:
• Decreased sensation
• Weakness
• Paleness of skin
66. Injury to the Ulnar Nerve
• Passes through cubital tunnel in the
posterior aspect of medial epicondyle
• Vulnerable to compression forces and
tension stresses due to:
• Repetitive movement in cubital tunnel
• Relative lack of bony protection
• Repetitive throwing and/or swinging can
irritate, compress or entrap the nerve
• aka cubital tunnel syndrome
68. Injury to the Radial Nerve
• Passes anteriorly to the lateral epicondyle and lies in a tunnel formed
by several muscles and tendons
• Repetitive pronation/supination can cause entrapment
• aka radial tunnel syndrome
• Differentiate from lateral epicondylitis
69. Injury to the Radial Nerve
• Pain over lateral aspect of elbow
• Tenderness present over anterior radial head
• Symptoms reproduced by:
• Resisting supination with elbow at 90
• Resisting extension of middle finger with elbow extended
• Failed treatment of lateral epicondylitis may be radial nerve
70. Injury to the Median Nerve
• Crosses anterior elbow and passes between the
heads of the pronator teres muscle just distal to
the joint
• Entrapment caused by:
• Hypertrophy of the pronator teres
• Activities that involve repetitive pronation
• aka pronator teres syndrome
71. Injury to the Median Nerve
• Pain radiating down the anterior forearm
• Numbness & tingling in
thumb, index, and
middle fingers
• Increases pain with
resistive pronation