[The human language of medicine. Physical expression of empathy added to diagnosis promotes understanding]

The article consists in a review of the clinical encounter in terms of existential anatomy and bodily empathy. Making a diagnosis and understanding the patient are not seen as discrete, mutually exclusive endeavours. In addition to relying on their biomedical expertise, doctors need to be attuned to their patients' symptom presentations as living, experiential expressions of the body, existential anatomy. By 'sharing' his patients' basic bodily conditions, the doctor accumulates abundant knowledge throughout his professional life. Diagnosis is preceded, and its accuracy enhanced, by grasping the experiential essence of the patient's symptomatology. The doctor's ability to communicate with the patient within the realm of existential anatomy is what is referred to as bodily empathy. It is proposed that satisfactory management is dependent on interplay between diagnostic expertise and bodily empathy.