Student’s Name

Date Due

1.    In a group, students perform the following active motions.

2.    Perform the following activities as small groups. Make note of the speed and distance traveled by each person.

A.   Line students up shoulder to shoulder and instruct them to walk across the room keeping their line straight.

B.   Line students up shoulder to shoulder in the middle of the room and instruct them to walk in a circle with the student on the right end as the pivot or anchor.

C.   Repeat activity B with the student on the left end as the pivot or anchor.

D.   Compare the speed of movement of each student in activities A, B, and C.

E.   Compare distance traveled by each student in activities A, B, and C.

F.   What type of motion is performed in activity A?

G.   What type of motion is performed in activities B and C?

3.    To practice palpation, use the finger pads of your right index and middle fingers. Place your fingertips lightly on the anterior surface of your left forearm just proximal to the wrist with your left wrist flexed. Extend your left wrist and note the changing sensations in your fingertips as wrist extension causes the tendons of the wrist and finger flexors to become taut. Move your fingertips medially and laterally (side to side) over the wrist and finger flexor tendons, making note of the changing sensations as you move over the tendons. Note how lightly you are touching and if you are able to palpate the changes. Describe what you feel in your right fingers as you palpated.

4.    Palpate using your finger pads over the muscles on the lateral aspect of your forearm just distal to the elbow joint. Using light pressure, move your fingers over the area. Describe what you feel (hard, soft, firm).

5.    With your finger pads over the muscles on the lateral aspect of your forearm just distal to the elbow joint, gradually increase the pressure of your palpation until it becomes slightly uncomfortable. Note how much pressure you are using. Patients, particularly those in pain or with fragile tissues, may not tolerate that amount of pressure. Repeat the muscle palpation using your fingertips. What problem may you encounter palpating with your fingertips?

6.    Using your finger pads, palpate over the dorsal aspect of the elbow. This is a bony area. Describe what you feel.

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7.    Compare the pressure used to palpate at the wrist, forearm, and elbow. Compare and contrast the sensations you feel at each area.

8.    Repeat the previous palpations on your partner. Did you feel the same characteristics as when you palpated yourself? Were you able to adjust your pressure to a comfortable level for your partner while still being able to make the observations you needed?

9.    Place the dorsum (back) of your hand on the anterior surface of your partner’s foot. Gradually move your hand proximally to just proximal to the knee joint. Describe the temperature of your partner’s lower extremity.

10.   Practice the following observation and palpation skills on at least two partners.

A.   Palpate the biceps brachii muscle belly and tendons. The biceps brachii is on the anterior surface of the humerus. Palpate the relaxed muscle, and then palpate while your partner is contracting the muscle.

1)   Describe how you used your hands to palpate (e.g., fingertips, light pressure).

2)   Describe the difference you felt when you palpated the relaxed muscle and the contracted muscle. Did what you palpate feel any different when the biceps muscle was contracting?

3)   Did contracting the muscle help you to find the tendon?

B.   Palpate the medial and lateral epicondyles of the humerus—bony projections on the medial and lateral sides at the elbow.

1)   Describe how you used your hands to palpate.

2)   Describe what you felt.

C.   Palpate the patellar tendon—first with the quadriceps muscle relaxed, and then with your partner contracting the muscle. The patellar tendon is on the anterior proximal tibia just distal to the patella (kneecap).

1)   Describe how you used your hands to palpate.

2)   Describe what you felt.

3)   Did the tendon feel any different when the quadriceps muscle was contracting?

4)   If you felt a difference in the tendon between the relaxed state and the contracted state, describe the difference.

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5)   Did contracting the muscle help you to find the tendon?

D.   Palpate your partner’s pulse at the radial artery, which is located on the anterior surface of the forearm on the lateral side.

1)   Describe how you used your hands to palpate.

2)   Describe how the pulse felt (weak, strong, regular, irregular).

E.   Palpate the ulnar nerve on the posterior medial aspect of the elbow as the nerve passes just lateral to the medial epicondyle.

1)   Describe how you used your hands to palpate the nerve.

2)   Describe what you felt.

3)   Describe how your partner reacted when you palpated the ulnar nerve with increasing pressure.

11.   Posture examination is a visual observation that compares a person’s posture to the normal or ideal posture. Symmetry and deviation from normal posture are noted. Because you have not studied posture yet, compare the second of the following two postures to the first, making note of major changes. Example: In the preferred standing position, your partner shifts a major portion of body weight to the left leg.

A.   Observe your partner while he or she is standing erect with weight distributed equally on both feet, which are placed approximately 4 inches apart with the toes pointed forward.

B.   Observe your partner standing in his or her preferred standing posture.

C.   Describe any major differences between the two postures.

12.   To practice visual observation, look at your partner.

A.   Describe your partner’s physical characteristics such as gender, height, and hair and eye color.

B.   Make faces to represent different emotional and physical states such as happy, sad, mad, and in pain. Your partner is to guess which state you are displaying.

13.   To practice auditory observations, start with your back to your partner so you cannot see what he or she is doing.

A.   While your partner is facing away from you, perform some ADLs such as taking off your shoes, removing your shirt, and walking. Ask your partner to describe what they heard and to tell you what activity you performed.

B.   If you know how, take your partner’s blood pressure, paying particular attention to the sounds rather than the pressure reading. What sounds did you hear? Were there periods of silence? If so, when?

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C.   Using a stethoscope, listen to your partner’s heart and lungs. Describe the sounds you heard.

14.   Perform as many of the following motions as possible while standing, sitting, lying supine, and side-lying.

15.   Perform the previously listed movements in random order and have your partner name the movement that you are performing.

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