Gallbladder palpation is the examination of Murphy’s sign. First, the patient is asked to lie flat on the bed and the physician stands on the patient’s right side, allowing the patient to expose the right hypochondrium and abdomen. The physician places his hand on the right side of the patient’s chest and extends his thumb over the junction of the right rectus abdominis muscle and the right costal arch and presses downward, asking the patient to breathe in while doing so. As the patient breathes deeply, the gallbladder will descend with the movement of the diaphragm, and the descending gallbladder will touch the thumb that is pressing downward. If there is acute inflammation of the gallbladder or if there is a problem with the gallbladder, the patient will experience tenderness and will suddenly hold his or her breath. This is how gallbladder palpation is performed.