The reason doctors press on your stomach during an exam is to find out if the size of your internal organs is normal, to check if anything hurts, and to feel if anything unusual is going on.
Any such pain that occurs when a doctor presses on your stomach can indicate that the peritoneum, or the membrane that lines the abdominal cavity, is inflamed--as often happens when the appendix becomes diseased, the bowel is perforated or there is peritonitis.
Then there's the spleen.
An abdominal tap can help diagnose the cause of fluid buildup or the presence of an infection.
It may also be done to remove a large amount of fluid to reduce belly pain.
Doctors also press or push on your lower abdomen because it's where your liver, stomach, intestines and other vital organs live. So your doctor will prod a bit, testing to make sure everything is healthy.
This is to make sure nothing is too tender, too big, or too firm.
The organs located in the epigastric region are the stomach, pancreas, and duodenum.
These organs can be palpated with a combination of deep and light palpation.
The stomach can also be palpated in the left upper quadrant or left hypochondriac region.
Elements of a Physical Exam
A thorough physical examination covers head to toe and usually lasts about 30 minutes.
It measures important vital signs -- temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate -- and evaluates your body using observation, palpitation, percussion, and auscultation.
In general, the standard physical exam typically includes: Vital signs: blood pressure, breathing rate, pulse rate, temperature, height, and weight.
Vision acuity: testing the sharpness or clarity of vision from a distance.
Head, eyes, ears, nose and throat exam: inspection, palpation, and testing, as appropriate.