Palpation is the use of the hand to feel the body and its organs, i.e. use of the sense of touch as a diagnostic tool. It's what your doctor is doing when he is pressing down on your abdomen (guts) or squeezing your testicles (balls). He is checking for lumps and bumps that don't belong, for the size and placement of organs, and for your perhaps painful reaction to the pressure. It is one of the classic diagnostic tools, and it remains highly useful. In fact you are  using it monthly when you do Testicle Self Examination.

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