Physiotherapy Glossary

20 Physical Rehabilitation terms

Hi, my name is Eve. I have been studying Physical Rehabilitation at Montmorency College for 2 years. If you didn't know in Quebec, college is the level immediately after high school. So, we can choose a field of study that we like, and we can do a pre-university program for 2 years or a technique for 3 years. My program is a technique, and we learn all the parts of the human body. There are several courses where you will learn about bones, muscles, nerves, arteries, and veins. We learn about several pathologies that we will treat in the future. We also learn a lot of techniques to help the patient regain their abilities after an injury or a particular condition. I think my glossary will help the other student to understand some of the principal injury that we treat, some movement that we learn and some of the subject of the physiotherapy.

abduction
noun
The movement of a limb or other part away from the midline of the body, or from another part.
Example: In incomplete tears or painful arc syndrome power of ABDUCTION is retained but movement is painful.
en: abduction
abduction
adduction
noun
The movement of a limb or other part toward the midline of the body or toward another part.
Example: ADDUCTION is unaffected as it is principally achieved by pectoralis major and lattisimus dorsi.
en: adduction
adduction
arthritis
noun
Arthritis means inflammation or swelling of one or more joints. It describes more than 100 conditions that affect the joints, tissues around the joint, and other connective tissues. Specific symptoms vary depending on the type of arthritis, but usually include joint pain and stiffness.
Example: However the most common bone affliction to be found was ARTHRITIS.
en: arthrite
arthritis
articulation
noun
A joint or juncture between bones or cartilages in the skeleton of a vertebrate.
Example: The treatments mentioned may be just body dumping however the repetition of the use of a site and the ARTICULATION of the bodies do show some sort of processing of the dead.
en: articulation
shoulder articulation
atrophy
verb
(of body tissue or an organ) Waste away, especially as a result of the degeneration of cells, or become vestigial during evolution.
Example: Progressive muscular ATROPHY.
en: atrophie
muscular atrophy
biomechanics
noun
The study of the mechanical laws relating to the movement or structure of living organisms.
Example: It has been proposed that repetitive use of the arm can affect the biomechanics of the upper limb or cause damage to tissues.
en: biomécanique
biomechanics
dislocation
noun
Injury or disability caused when the normal position of a joint or other part of the body is disturbed.
Example: The leg would not appear like this if the injury was an anterior or posterior DISLOCATION.
en: luxation
dislocation
electrotherapy
noun
The use of electric currents passed through the body to stimulate nerves and muscles, chiefly in the treatment of various forms of paralysis.
Example: Over the past 16 years he has received numerous episodes of physiotherapy, ELECTROTHERAPY, steroid injections.
en: électrothérapie
Tens
extension
noun
Extension is the opposite of flexion, a straightening movement that increases the angle between body parts.
Example: Introduction Functional activities that involve simultaneous knee EXTENSION and hip flexion are dependant on hamstring extensibility.
en: extension
extension
flexion
noun
The action of bending or the condition of being bent, especially the bending of a limb or joint.
Example: The opposite movement of hip FLEXION and knee extension is employed in the SLR and stretches the hamstrings over both joints.
en: flexion
flexion
fracture
noun
A crack or break in a hard object or material, typically a bone or a body of rock.
Example: Bone is not a static tissue and it is constantly remodelling in reaction to new stresses in order to maintain the highest protection against FRACTURE.
en: fracture
humerus fracture
hydrotherapy
noun
The use of exercises in a pool as part of treatment for conditions such as arthritis or partial paralysis.
Example: Exercises maintain muscle power and improve the mobility of weight-bearing joints. HYDROTHERAPY may be useful.
en: hydrothérapie
hydrotherapy
hypertrophy
noun
The enlargement of an organ or tissue from the increase in size of its cells.
Example: The hypertrophy of the muscle fibers.
en: hypertrophie
muscle hypertrophy
mobility
noun
The ability to move or be moved freely and easily.
Example: This exercise helps retain mobility in the damaged joints.
en: mobilité
knee mobility
myocyte
noun
A muscle cell.
Example: Within a normal heart, capillaries are located next to almost every cardiac myocyte.
en: myocyte
myocyte
physiology
noun
The branch of biology that deals with the normal functions of living organisms and their parts.
Example: Just because primates are a close resemblance to human PHYSIOLOGY and genetics, does not mean they are a suitable substitute for an exact match.
en: physiologie
physiology
pronation
noun
Rotation of the hand and forearm so that the palm faces backwards or downwards.
Example: This entirely normal inward rolling is called pronation.
en: pronation
arm pronation
sprain
noun
Wrench or twist the ligaments of (an ankle, wrist, or other joint) violently so as to cause pain and swelling but not dislocation.
Example: On he went to the GP, who was initially treating him for a muscular SPRAIN.
en: entorse
ankle sprain
supination
noun
Supination is a rotational movement of the forearm at the radioulnar joint, or of the foot at the subtalar and talocalcaneonavicular joints.
Example: On examination, Phalens test is negative and the pain can be elicited by resisting flexion of the elbow with the arm in SUPINATION.
en: supination
arm supination
thermotherapy
noun
The use of heat in conventional or alternative medicine, especially for the relief of muscular pain or stiffness.
Example: Thermotherapy is the best option for relieving pain from muscle spasms or cramps.
en: thermothérapie
ice application