Lubrication theory is commonly employed to analyse the squeeze-film flow of plastic fluids under no-slip wall boundary conditions. Solutions exist for both Bingham and Herschel-Bulkley fluids but they infer that there exists a rigid or unyielded core and flow zones adjacent to the platens; it has been recognised previously that such a velocity field is kinematically inconsistent. Furthermore, the pressure boundary condition at the edge of the platens is conventionally set to zero which is inconsistent with experimental data presented here for a model Herschel-Bulkley fluid (Plasticine). An attempt has been made to examine the lubrication theory in more detail by a comparison with equilibrium stress analysis for rigid-plastic solids. Squeeze-film measurements were carried out using a model Herschel-Bulkley fluid and the results were consistent with the theory, suggesting that it is a useful first approximation. Nevertheless, the approach does not resolve the kinematic inconsistency resulting in lubrication theory.