-A-
- Addiction:
- (because of the complexity of this topic, we have addressed this separately in the Pain Management section)
- Arthralgia:
- Pain in a joint, usually due to arthritis or arthropathy.
- Arthritis:
- Inflammation of a joint, usually accompanied by pain, swelling, and sometimes change in structure.
- Arthroscopy:
- A minimally-invasive diagnostic and treatment procedure used for conditions of a joint. This procedure uses a small, lighted, optic tube (arthroscope) which is inserted into the joint through a small incision in the joint. Images of the inside of the joint are projected onto a screen; used to evaluate any degenerative and/or arthritic changes in the joint; to detect bone diseases and tumors; to determine the cause of bone pain and inflammation.
- Atrophy:
- Wasting, shrinkage of muscle tissue or nerve tissue
- Avulsionz:
- When a muscle is forcefully stretched beyond its freely-available range of motion, or when it meets a sudden unexpected resistance while contracting forcefully.
-B-
Bursitis:
Repeated small stresses and overuse that cause the bursa to swell and become irritated.
-C-
Carpal tunnel syndrome:
A condition in which the median nerve is compressed as it passes through the carpal tunnel in the wrist, a narrow confined space. Since the median nerve provides sensory and motor functions to the thumb and three middle fingers, many symptoms may result.
Cartilage:
A smooth material that covers bone ends of a joint to cushion the bone and allow the joint to move easily without pain.
Cervical spine:
The area of the spinal cord located in the neck.
Coccydynia:
Pain around the coccyx.
CT or CAT scan (also called a computed tomography scan:
A diagnostic imaging procedure that uses a combination of x-rays and computer technology to produce cross-sectional images (often called slices), both horizontally and vertically, of the body. A CT scan shows detailed images of any part of the body, including the bones, muscles, fat, and organs. CT scans are more detailed than general x-rays.
Disc herniation (also called disc prolapse, disc bulge, slipped disc):
A protruding or bulging of the padded areas , called discs, between the vertebrae in the spine.
Dislocation:
A dislocation occurs when extreme force is put on a ligament causing the two bone ends to separate. Dislocations can also affect a joint, the point where two or more bones come together. The joint is created as a "ball-and-socket" joint. A dislocated joint causes the head of the bone (ball) to partially or completely come out of the socket.
-E-
Ergonomics:
The science of obtaining a correct match between the human body, work-related tasks, and work tools.
-F-
Fibromyalgia (Also called fibrositis):
A chronic, widespread pain in muscles and soft tissues surrounding the joints throughout the body.
Frozen shoulder (Also called capsulitis):
A shoulder injury which has four stages: pain, pain and stiffness, stiffness, and resolution.
-G-
Gait:
Pattern of walking or locomotion.
Gout: A result of a defect in body chemistry (such as uric acid in the joint fluid), this painful condition most often attacks small joints, especially the big toe. It can usually be controlled with medication and changes in diet.
-H-
Hamstrings:
Muscles located in the posterior compartment of the thigh.
Hydrotherapy/pool therapy:
Rehabilitation exercises performed in water.
Hyperextension:
Active or passive force which takes the joint into extension, but beyond its normal range.
Hypertrophy: An increase in the size of tissue.
Hypomobility: A decrease in the normal range of joint movement.
Hypoxia: Decreased level of oxygen in the blood or tissues.
-I-
Inflammation:
A normal reaction to injury or disease, which usually results in swelling, pain, and stiffness.
Intervertebral disc: disc that forms a cartilaginous joint between the vertebrae to provide shock absorption.
-J-
Joint: Where the ends of two or more bones meet.
-K-
Kyphosis: Exaggerated outward curvature of the spine.
-L-
Laminectomy: Surgical procedure, which includes removal of a portion of the lamina, to provide more room in the vertebral canal; usually done for disc herniation or spinal canal stenosis.
Ligaments: A white, shiny, flexible band of fibrous tissue that binds joints together and connects various bones and cartilage.
Lordosis: Curve of the spine.
Lumbar radiculopathy (Also called sciatica):
A pain that originates along the sciatic nerve.
Lumbar spine (lower back): A complex structure that connects the upper body to the lower body; consists of vertebrae, disks, spinal cord, and nerves.
-M-
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging): A diagnostic procedure that uses a combination of large magnets, radiofrequencies, and a computer to produce detailed images of organs and structures within the body.
Medial epicondylitis: Pain caused by damage to the tendons that bend the wrist toward the palm.
Median nerve: Large nerve, comprising segments from the cervical spine, that is involved in nerve function of the upper limb; commonly compressed in the carpal tunnel of the wrist.
Menisci:
Two crescent-shaped discs of connective tissue between the bones of the knees that act as shock absorbers to cushion the lower part of the leg from the weight of the rest of the body.
Mobility:
Movement.
Morton's neuroma: A pinched nerve that usually causes pain between the third and fourth toes.
Multifidus:
Deep lumbar spine muscle that stabilizes the lumbar spine.
Multiple sclerosis (MS):
A disease of the central nervous system that is an unpredictable condition that can be relatively benign, disabling, or devastating, leaving the patient unable to speak, walk, or write.
Muscular dystrophy:
The name given to a group of diseases that are, for the most part, genetically determined and cause gradual wasting of muscle with accompanying weakness and deformity.
Myofascial pain:
An aching pain in muscles that tends to be associated with poor posture; patients can become sore in different parts of the body, such as the neck and arms, and often report they have difficulty sleeping or feeling restored from sleep.
Myofascial trigger point: Areas of focal muscle tenderness and spasm.
-N-
Nerve conduction tests:
Procedure to determine nerve impulse generation.
Neuralgia:
Pain in distribution of nerve or nerves.
Neuritis: Inflammation of a nerve or nerves.
Neuropathy: A disease or abnormality of the nervous system
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): Medication that produces fever reducing, analgesic (pain relieving), and anti-inflammatory effects.
-O-
Osteoporosis:
A condition that develops when bone becomes weak and brittle because it is no longer replaced as quickly as it is removed.
-P-
Palsy: Paralysis of a muscle or group of muscles.
Patellar tendonitis: Inflammatory condition of the patellar ligament, usually due to overuse.
-R-
Radiculitis: Inflammation of the root of a spinal nerve.
Range of motion:
The extent that a joint will move from full extension to full flexion.
Rehabilitation:
The process of helping a person achieve the highest level of function, independence, and quality of life possible. From the Latin "habilitas," which means to make able.
Retrolisthesis: Posterior slippage of one vertebra onto another.
Rheumatoid arthritis: An inflammatory disease that involves the lining of the joint (synovium). The inflammation often affects the joints of the hands and the feet and tends to occur equally on both sides of the body.
Rotator cuff: Muscles and tendons that form a cuff over the shoulder joint and attach to the scapula to the bone in the upper arm (humerus); major function is to control and produce rotation of the shoulder.
-S-
Scapula:
Shoulder blade.
Sciatica (Also called lumbar radiculopathy): A pain that originates along the sciatic nerve.
Scoliosis: A lateral, or sideways, curvature and rotation of the back bones (vertebrae), giving the appearance that the person is leaning to one side.
Spasm: A condition in which a muscle or group of muscles involuntarily contract.
Spinal instability:
Increased motion between vertebra, usually resulting from an injury; pain typically feels like tingling in the neck or arms.
Spinal stenosis:
Narrowing of the nerve openings either around the spinal cord or nerve roots that can cause symptoms similar to a pinched nerve; pain is described either as an aching or an electrical feeling down the arm.
Spine:
A column in the body consisting of 33 vertebrae.
Spondylolisthesis:
Forward displacement of one vertebra on its lower neighbor.
Spondylosis:
Degenerative processes that affect the intervertebral disc.
Sprain:
A partial or complete tear of a ligament.
Strain: A partial or complete tear of a muscle or tendon.
Suboxone/Subutex (this is explained in the addiction site)
-T-
Tendonitis:
An inflammation in a tendon or the tendon covering.
Thoracic spine:
The 12 vertebrae between the cervical and lumbar spines that provide attachments for the ribs.
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS):
A method of local electrical stimulation to nerve endings under the skin to provide pain relief.
-U-
Ultrasound:
A diagnostic technique which uses high-frequency sound waves to create an image of the internal organs.
-V-
Vertebrae:
Bony structures that surround the spinal cord; also called the "back bone."
