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Ankle Sprain
Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tear (ACL)
Arthritis
Avascular Necrosis (Osteonecrosis)
Baby Sign Language
Backpack Safety
Brain Injury
Bursitis
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA)
Cervical Pain
Diabetes
Falls
Herniated Disc
Hip Pain
Knee Pain
Low Back Pain
Lumbar Stenosis
Mesothelioma
Multiple Sclerosis
Neck Pain
Osteoarthritis
Parkinson's Disease
Plantar Fascitis
Rotator Cuff
Shoulder Bursitis
Shoulder Pain
Shoulder Tendonitis
Sign Language
Spinal Stenosis
Stroke
Tendonitis
Total Hip Replacement
Total Knee Replacement
Torticollis
Trochanteric Bursitis
Venous Stasis
Wound Care

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Glossary

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A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

A

Adaptive Equipment:

Angioplasty: Surgical procedure in which a balloon-tipped catheter (thin tube) is inserted into a diseased, narrowed blood vessel; inflation of balloon stretches vessel opening, improving blood flow through it.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament(ACL):lies in the middle of the knee. It prevents the tibia from sliding out in front of the femur, and provides rotational stability to the knee.

B

Bone scan: a test that uses injected radioactive material that attaches itself to bone. A bone scan can detect fractures, tumors, infections, and arthritis, but may not tell one disorder from another. Therefore, a bone scan is usually performed along with other tests.

C

Carpal Tunnel: is created by the wrist bones on the bottom and a ligament over the top. The median nerve runs through the tunnel along with the flexor tendons to the wrist. Pressure within the tunnel can compromise the nerve and lead to carpal tunnel syndrome.

Cartilage:Cartilage is made mainly of a protein called collagen, which also gives skin its elasticity. Cartilage covers the ends of bones, and provides cushioning to prevent bones from rubbing together during movement and impact. It also offers a slick surface that allows your bones to glide against each other so your joints can move smoothly.

Cerebral Angiogram: a diagnostic test that produces an image of the arteries in the brain and/or head. It can help physicians diagnose a number of problems.

Cerebral Palsy:

Cervical Traction: a mechanical device that applies a distraction force to the cerival spine in an attempt to separate the verterbae of the neck. This modaility is often used to treat radiating symptoms in the arms caused by a "bulging" or herniated disc. It is also used to stretch and relax the cervical muscles. It works well for patients with headaches and after motor vehicle accidents.

CT Scan (Computerised Tomography):a special kind of X-ray machine that produces 2 dimensional images far more far more detailed than ordinary X-rays. CT has the unique ability to image a combination of soft tissue, bone, and blood vessels.

D

Diabetic Neuropathy:Nerve damage from diabetes.

E

Electrical Stimulation:

Epidural Injection: is typically used to alleviate chronic low back and/or leg pain. An epidural is an injection that delivers steroids directly into the epidural space in the spine. The epidural steroid injection can be highly effective because it delivers the medication directly to the site of inflammation.

G

Gastroparesis: is a disorder affecting people with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, where the stomach takes too long to empty its contents.

H

Hyperglycemia: is the technical term for high blood glucose (sugar). High blood glucose happens when the body has too little, or not enough, insulin or when the body can't use insulin properly.

Hypoglycemia: is the technical term for low blood glucose (sugar).

I

Insulin: is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life.

K

Ketoacidosis: is a serious condition where the body has dangerously high levels of ketones -- or acids that build up in the blood -- and it can lead to diabetic coma (passing out for a long time) or even death.

L

Lumbar Stenosis:

Lateral Collateral Ligament(LCL):runs along the outer part of the knee and prevents the knee from bending outward.

M

Multiple Sclerosis:

Medial Collateral Ligament(MCL):runs along the inner part of the knee and prevents the knee from bending inward.

Mesothelioma:a type of lung cancer caused by exposure to asbestos.

MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging):a non-invasive procedure that uses powerful magnets and radio waves to construct pictures of the body.

Myelogram: a liquid dye is injected into the spinal column and appears white against bone on an x-ray film. A myelogram can show pressure on the spinal cord or nerves from herniated discs, bone spurs or tumors.

O

Osteoarthritis:

P

Parkinson's Disease:

Plantar Fascitis:

Posterior Cruciate Ligament(PCL):works in concert with the ACL. It prevents the tibia from sliding backwards under the femur.

Proprioception:the process by which the body can vary muscle contraction in immediate response to incoming information regarding external forces," by utilizing stretch receptors in the muscles to keep track of the joint position in the body.

R

Rotator Cuff: a set of four muscles (Supraspinatus, Infraspinatus, Subscapularis, and Teres Minor) that lie over the humeral head in the shoulder that help provide shoulder stability.

S

Spinal stenosis: is a narrowing of the spinal canal, which places pressure on the spinal cord.

Spondylosis: (spinal osteoarthritis) is a degenerative disorder that may cause loss of normal spinal structure and function. Although aging is the primary cause, the location and rate of degeneration is individual. The degenerative process of spondylosis may impact the cervical, thoracic, and/or lumbar regions of the spine affecting the intervertebral discs and facet joints.

Spondylolisthesis: the slipping of one vertebra onto another.

Stent: is a small, lattice-shaped, metal tube that is inserted permanently into an artery. The stent helps hold open an artery so that blood can flow through it.

Stroke: see CVA

T

Tendonitis:

Torticollis:

V

Venous Stasis:

Megan Hubbard, DPT © 2005 | disclaimer |