- abnormal illness
behaviour
This has already achieved the acronym AIB and was first described by
Powlowski in 1969 as the 'persistence of an inappropriate maladaptive
mode of perceiving, evaluating, and acting in relation to one's state
of health'. The physical signs were said to include wide spread
non-anatomic tenderness and the patients concerned magnified their pain
using emotive terms. The abnormal behaviour was thought to be related
to the anticipation of financial gain or some form of compensation.
- acromio-clavicular
syndrome
Injury to, or overuse of, the arm can cause persistent upward
displacement of the lateral end of the clavicle with pain, worse during
full elevation of the arm.
- adverse neural tension
Adverse Neural Tension This is a test often used by physiotherapists to
differentiate between pain arising in the nerve roots from that arising
in the soft tissues. Specifically it is used to differentiate between
pain arising in the cervical nerve roots, and brachial plexus, and pain
arising from the muscle bursae and joint capsule in the neck and
shoulders.
- algodystrophy
See Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy.
- algodystrophy
See Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy.
- allodynia
This is the term given to the hypersensitivity reaction to touch and
gentle palpation. The term Allopathia is sometimes used if the
hypersensitivity is such as to lead to feelings of burning, electric
shocks and excessive pins and needles.
- anatomical orientation
To help in the descriptions of an anatomical structure or region of the
body certain terms are used that have an agreed interpretation. The
Anatomical Position is one in which the person stands upright, feet
together, eyes looking forward, arms straight along the side of the
body with the palms of the hands directed forwards. The front of the
body is called the anterior surface and the back is called the
Posterior surface. Ventral and dorsal are also used to describe the
front and the back. Higher structures are Superior and lower structures
are Inferior. Median structures are in the midline of the body or a
limb. Medial means nearer to the midline and Lateral means further away
from the midline. A Sagittal plane passes vertically anteroposteriorly
through the body and forward movements in this plane are called Flexion
and backward movements are Extension. A vertical plane at right angles
to the sagittal is called a Coronal plane and movements of joints in
this plane are Abduction or away from, and Adduction towards the
midline. Rotation can occur in certain joints along a longitudinal
axis.
- anterior interosseous
syndrome
This syndrome is due to pressure over the anterior interosseous nerve
in the upper arm and leads to weakness of flexion of the terminal digit
of the index finger and thumb demonstrated as loss of normal pinch.
- arcade of frobse
This is part of the tendinous/membranous origin of the supinator muscle
at the lateral epicondyle of the humerus (outer aspect of the elbow).
The posterior interosseous nerve (a branch of the radial nerve) passes
between the superficial and deep parts of the supinator muscle where it
may be trapped causing pain. (See Radial Tunnel Syndrome).
- arthroplasty
Plastic surgery of a joint, or the formation of moveable joints.
- arthroscopy
Examination of the interior of a joint with an arthroscope.
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