Glossary
Every term explained, in plain English
Clinical language shouldn't be a barrier to understanding your own recovery. Here are 32 of the terms you'll hear at a physiotherapy clinic, defined clearly and without jargon.
What this glossary covers
This glossary defines 32 physiotherapy, rehabilitation, anatomy and insurance terms in plain English, as used at Med Wellness Physiotherapy & Rehab in Woodbridge, Ontario. Each definition is a complete, standalone explanation of the term, with a link to the related condition or treatment page where one exists.
- Assessment & diagnosis — 5 terms
- Treatment techniques — 9 terms
- Conditions & symptoms — 8 terms
- Anatomy & movement — 5 terms
- Appointments & billing — 5 terms
Assessment & diagnosis
- Initial assessmentalso called First appointment, Physiotherapy assessment
- An initial assessment is the first appointment with a physiotherapist, in which the clinician takes your history, tests how you move, and forms a working diagnosis. At Med Wellness it lasts roughly 45 to 60 minutes and ends with a clear explanation, a treatment plan and usually the first session of treatment.
- Read more about initial assessment
- Range of motionalso called ROM
- Range of motion is how far a joint can move in each direction, measured in degrees. Physiotherapists record it at the start of care and re-measure it later, because a change in range is objective proof that treatment is working.
- Red flags
- Red flags are specific symptoms that suggest a problem needs medical investigation rather than physiotherapy alone — for example unexplained weight loss, fever, progressive weakness or changes in bladder control. Screening for them is a routine part of every assessment, and finding one means we refer you on promptly.
- Differential diagnosis
- A differential diagnosis is the shortlist of conditions that could explain your symptoms, which the clinician narrows down through testing. It matters because pain in one place is often referred from another — hip pain, for instance, can originate in the lower back.
- Prognosis
- A prognosis is the clinician's realistic estimate of how much you will recover and how long it will take. A good prognosis is given as a range with milestones rather than a single date, because healing is rarely perfectly linear.
Treatment techniques
- Manual therapyalso called Hands-on therapy
- Manual therapy is hands-on treatment in which a clinician uses their hands to move joints and soft tissue to reduce pain and restore movement. It covers joint mobilisation, soft-tissue release and stretching, and is almost always combined with exercise so the gains last.
- Read more about manual therapy
- Joint mobilisationalso called Joint mobilization
- Joint mobilisation is a manual therapy technique using slow, controlled, graded movements to restore a stiff joint's natural glide. It is gentler than manipulation, does not produce a 'crack', and is well tolerated by painful or guarded joints.
- Read more about joint mobilisation
- Myofascial release
- Myofascial release is a hands-on technique that applies sustained, gentle pressure to fascia — the connective tissue wrapping your muscles — to ease restrictions that limit movement. It is often used for stubborn tightness that stretching alone does not resolve.
- Read more about myofascial release
- Therapeutic exercisealso called Exercise therapy, Active rehabilitation
- Therapeutic exercise is a prescribed, progressively loaded exercise program designed to rebuild strength, mobility and control in a specific area. It is the most strongly evidence-based component of physiotherapy, and for many conditions it produces outcomes comparable to surgery.
- Read more about therapeutic exercise
- Progressive loadingalso called Graded loading, Load management
- Progressive loading is the practice of gradually increasing the demand placed on a healing tissue so it adapts and gets stronger. It is the core principle behind tendon rehabilitation, where rest alone tends to relieve pain only until activity resumes.
- Vestibular rehabilitationalso called Vestibular therapy
- Vestibular rehabilitation is a specialised form of physiotherapy that treats dizziness, vertigo and imbalance arising from the inner-ear balance system. It combines repositioning manoeuvres for BPPV with gaze-stabilisation and habituation exercises that retrain the brain.
- Read more about vestibular rehabilitation
- Epley manoeuvrealso called Canalith repositioning, Epley maneuver
- The Epley manoeuvre is a precise sequence of head and body positions used to guide displaced inner-ear crystals back where they belong, treating BPPV. It frequently resolves positional vertigo within one to three sessions.
- Read more about epley manoeuvre
- Shockwave therapyalso called ESWT, Extracorporeal shockwave therapy
- Shockwave therapy delivers pulses of acoustic energy into tissue to stimulate blood flow and the body's own repair response. It is most often used for persistent tendon problems such as plantar fasciitis and tennis elbow that have not settled with exercise alone.
- Read more about shockwave therapy
- Dry needling
- Dry needling is a technique in which a thin filament needle is inserted into a tight band of muscle to release a trigger point. It borrows the needle from acupuncture but is guided by Western anatomy and musculoskeletal diagnosis rather than meridian theory.
- Read more about dry needling
Conditions & symptoms
- Sciatica
- Sciatica is pain that travels along the sciatic nerve — from the lower back through the buttock and down the leg — caused by irritation or compression of the nerve. It is a symptom rather than a diagnosis, and the large majority of cases settle with physiotherapy without injections or surgery.
- Read more about sciatica
- BPPValso called Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo
- BPPV, or benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, is a condition where tiny calcium crystals dislodge inside the inner ear and send false movement signals to the brain, causing brief, intense spinning with head movement. It is the single most common cause of vertigo and is often resolved quickly with repositioning manoeuvres.
- Read more about bppv
- Tendinopathyalso called Tendinitis, Tendonitis
- Tendinopathy is pain and reduced function in a tendon caused by load exceeding what the tendon can currently tolerate. The older term 'tendinitis' implies inflammation, which is usually absent — which is why progressive loading, not anti-inflammatories or rest, is the primary treatment.
- Plantar fasciitis
- Plantar fasciitis is pain under the heel and arch caused by overload of the plantar fascia, the thick band of tissue supporting the arch of the foot. Its hallmark is sharp heel pain with the first steps in the morning that eases as you walk.
- Read more about plantar fasciitis
- Frozen shoulderalso called Adhesive capsulitis
- Frozen shoulder is a condition in which the shoulder joint capsule becomes inflamed and tightens, causing pain and a major loss of movement. It passes through distinct stages over months, and physiotherapy focuses on managing pain and preserving as much range as possible while it runs its course.
- Read more about frozen shoulder
- Chronic painalso called Persistent pain
- Chronic pain is pain that persists beyond the normal healing time of an injury, usually defined as more than three months. It often reflects a sensitised nervous system amplifying pain signals rather than ongoing tissue damage, which is why it can improve even when a scan looks unchanged.
- Read more about chronic pain
- Referred pain
- Referred pain is pain felt in one part of the body but originating in another. The upper neck joints referring pain into the head as a headache is a classic example, and it is the reason assessment always looks beyond the spot that hurts.
- Centralisationalso called Centralization
- Centralisation is when pain retreats from the limb back toward the spine during treatment — for example sciatic pain moving from the calf up into the buttock. It is one of the most reliable early signs that treatment for nerve-related back pain is working.
- Read more about centralisation
Anatomy & movement
- Proprioceptionalso called Joint position sense, Balance training
- Proprioception is your body's sense of where its joints are in space without needing to look. It is disrupted by injuries such as ankle sprains, which is why balance retraining — not just strengthening — is what stops an ankle rolling again.
- Read more about proprioception
- Rotator cuff
- The rotator cuff is the group of four muscles and their tendons that stabilise the shoulder and control its rotation. Because the shoulder trades stability for mobility, the cuff does most of the work holding the joint centred, and it is the most common source of shoulder pain.
- Read more about rotator cuff
- Core stability
- Core stability is the ability of the trunk and pelvic muscles to control the spine while the limbs move. It is built with progressive strengthening rather than constant bracing, and it is a foundation of lasting recovery from back pain.
- Read more about core stability
- Gaitalso called Walking pattern
- Gait is the pattern of movement your body uses to walk. Pain anywhere in the leg quickly alters it, and an altered gait loads the back, knee and opposite side — which is why treating a limp early prevents a cascade of secondary problems.
- Pelvic floor
- The pelvic floor is the sling of muscles at the base of the pelvis that supports the bladder, bowel and — in women — the uterus. It can become weak or, just as often, overly tight, and pelvic floor physiotherapy treats both.
- Read more about pelvic floor
Appointments & billing
- Direct billing
- Direct billing is when the clinic submits your claim to your extended health insurer on your behalf, so you pay only the portion your plan does not cover. Med Wellness direct bills most extended health plans for physiotherapy, massage therapy and chiropractic.
- Read more about direct billing
- Paramedical coverage
- Paramedical coverage is the part of an extended health plan that pays for regulated non-physician services such as physiotherapy, massage therapy and chiropractic. Plans typically set a separate annual dollar limit for each discipline.
- Referralalso called Doctor's referral
- A referral is a note from a physician directing you to another health service. In Ontario you do not need one to book physiotherapy, massage therapy or chiropractic — but some extended health plans require one before they will reimburse you, so it is worth checking your policy.
- Read more about referral
- RMTalso called Registered Massage Therapist
- An RMT is a Registered Massage Therapist, a health professional regulated in Ontario by the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario. Only treatment by an RMT is eligible for reimbursement under extended health massage benefits.
- MVA claimalso called Motor vehicle accident claim
- An MVA claim is treatment funded by your auto insurer after a motor vehicle accident, under Ontario's statutory accident benefits. Physiotherapy for accident-related injuries is generally covered without using your extended health benefits.
- Read more about mva claim
Medically reviewed by Ritesh Patel, PTLast reviewed
This page is general health information reviewed by a registered clinician. It is not personalised medical advice and does not replace an in-person assessment. If your symptoms are severe, worsening or new, contact a healthcare professional.
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