Which hand technique is recommended during a systematic search?

Which hand technique is recommended during a systematic search?

• A. Slap or strike method
• B. Pat or pat-and-squeeze method recommended
• C. Waving hands
• D. Rubbing hands

Answer: (B)

In a systematic search, touch should be gentle, controlled, and methodical so you can reliably detect injuries without causing harm. Using a pat-down technique, sometimes with a light pat-and-squeeze, lets you feel for tender areas, swelling, warmth, deformities, or abnormal movement across the body in a consistent pattern. The pat motion covers surfaces quickly and gives you useful feedback about texture and tenderness, while a brief squeeze tests how the joint or tissue responds to pressure, helping reveal pain that might not show with light touch alone. This approach keeps your hands in contact with the body, reducing the chance of missing injuries and minimizing client discomfort. Slapping or striking is too aggressive and can worsen injuries; waving hands is unfocused and misses areas; rubbing hands can irritate tissues and produce unreliable signs. The pat or pat-and-squeeze method is therefore the best choice for a systematic search.

In a systematic search, touch should be gentle, controlled, and methodical so you can reliably detect injuries without causing harm. Using a pat-down technique, sometimes with a light pat-and-squeeze, lets you feel for tender areas, swelling, warmth, deformities, or abnormal movement across the body in a consistent pattern. The pat motion covers surfaces quickly and gives you useful feedback about texture and tenderness, while a brief squeeze tests how the joint or tissue responds to pressure, helping reveal pain that might not show with light touch alone. This approach keeps your hands in contact with the body, reducing the chance of missing injuries and minimizing client discomfort. Slapping or striking is too aggressive and can worsen injuries; waving hands is unfocused and misses areas; rubbing hands can irritate tissues and produce unreliable signs. The pat or pat-and-squeeze method is therefore the best choice for a systematic search.