What does term "Tenderness" mean to you?

[AnthonyM83]

We had a bit of a discussion about this at work.

I think tenderness usually refers to pain, specifically on palpation. Almost like sensitive. To others, it simply meant painful. When someone says an "abdomen is tender", I usually think they found that out through palpation, otherwise they'd just say "abdominal pain". And then one guy in the group said he also through it referred to a sign (versus symptom) of being soft (like having give...as if a head injury had "give" and pushed in when palpated).

Just wondering what the community at large thought.

 

[adamjh3]

A very interesting question. Like you, I have always thought of it to be pain on palpation. By definition, tender can mean "soft or delicate in substance," or "acutely or painfully sensitive" among about a dozen other definitions of it used as an adjective.

 

[traumaangel26]

Never ASSUME!! U may mean something one way and someone else takes it another way. Always clarify what u r thinking. Then u know what is meant.

 

[MSDeltaFlt]

There are different definitions with palpation. Some mean merely to touch. Some a bit more.

http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/palpation

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/touch

 

[mycrofft]

Cutting to chase:

Pain is present as a direct result of the trauma or disease process (insult to a nerve or the brain, or psychological effects). Tenderness is caused ("elicited") by something besides the actual effect of trauma or disease process per se. Tenderness means sensitive.

Pain is the feeling, tenderness discribes a means to elicit pain.
EXAMPLE: If you break you arm, it will hurt. If I splint it successfully, it may stop hurting, but if I tap on it with my sixteen-cell Kelight 7000 baton-light, it will exhibit tenderness. If your arm is cut off, you may still feel pain in those phantom fingers, but they cannot be palpated to elicit pain.

 

[rescue99]

Pain is the feeling, tenderness discribes a means to elicit pain.

The intended meaning. ^

 

[mycrofft]

Yeah, like you said.

(never post after 10 PM, never post after 10 PM,never post...).:wacko:

 

[RCashRN]

but, with that being said... would subjecting a fractured tooth with an exposed nerve to an ice cold liquid be considered "tender"? hmmm.... i guess techically, by definition, it would... but i dont think i'd ever call it tender. i'd say pain is exacerbated by exposure to cold.

 

[CNAinFL]

What does tenderness mean to you?

Flowers...candy...long walks on the beach...oh, sorry, wrong kind of tenderness!

In MY opinion it means pain, although I got a question wrong on one of my tests because apparently in my instructor's opinion tenderness and pain are not the same thing. Hmmph.

We had a bit of a discussion about this at work.

I think tenderness usually refers to pain, specifically on palpation. Almost like sensitive. To others, it simply meant painful. When someone says an "abdomen is tender", I usually think they found that out through palpation, otherwise they'd just say "abdominal pain". And then one guy in the group said he also through it referred to a sign (versus symptom) of being soft (like having give...as if a head injury had "give" and pushed in when palpated).

Just wondering what the community at large thought.

 

[Akulahawk]

Pain is pain. Tenderness (to me) says that pain was elicited by something you did...

Pain in the right knee, medial side, point tender to palpation of the MCL...

 

[CNAinFL]

Pain is pain. Tenderness (to me) says that pain was elicited by something you did...

Pain in the right knee, medial side, point tender to palpation of the MCL...

Good point there.