Physiotherapy Glossary

Basic self-care tasks such as eating, dressing, bathing, and walking that physiotherapy aims to restore or maintain in patients.

Malaysian legislation (Act 774) that regulates allied health professions including physiotherapy, ensuring practitioners meet required standards of training and practice.

The wasting or decrease in size of muscle tissue, often due to disuse, injury, or nerve damage.

Tests to evaluate a patient's static and dynamic balance, important for fall risk screening and vestibular rehabilitation.

An unstable platform used for balance training and proprioceptive exercises, commonly used in ankle and knee rehabilitation.

Small, fluid-filled sacs located near joints that reduce friction between bones, tendons, and muscles during movement.

Smooth, flexible connective tissue that covers the ends of bones in joints, providing cushioning and reducing friction during movement.

Exercise where a muscle shortens during contraction to produce movement (e.g., lifting a weight during a bicep curl).

Permanent shortening of muscles, tendons, or other tissues, leading to restricted joint movement.

The muscles of the trunk including abdominals, obliques, lower back, and pelvic floor that stabilise the spine and pelvis during movement.

A crackling, popping, or grinding sound or sensation in a joint during movement, caused by rough cartilage surfaces or air in tissues.

The application of cold (ice packs, cold compresses) to reduce pain, swelling, and inflammation after injury.

A technique using suction cups on the skin to increase blood flow, reduce muscle tension, and promote healing. Used alongside physiotherapy in Malaysian practice.

An area of skin supplied by sensory nerves from a single spinal nerve root, used to identify the level of nerve involvement in spine conditions.

A technique using thin needles inserted into trigger points in muscles to relieve pain and improve movement. Different from acupuncture in approach and theory.

Exercise where a muscle lengthens while under tension (e.g., slowly lowering a weight). Important for tendon rehabilitation.

Swelling caused by excess fluid trapped in the body's tissues, commonly occurring after injury or surgery.

A broad category of treatments that use electrical energy to stimulate nerves and muscles, reduce pain, and promote healing.

A chair designed to provide proper posture support, adjustability, and comfort to prevent musculoskeletal problems during prolonged sitting.

The science of designing workspaces, equipment, and tasks to fit the human body, preventing injury and improving productivity.

A thin sheet of connective tissue that surrounds and supports muscles, organs, and other structures throughout the body.

A cylindrical tool used for self-myofascial release, helping to relieve muscle tension and improve flexibility through rolling exercises.

An evaluation of a patient's ability to perform daily activities (walking, climbing stairs, dressing) to determine treatment goals and measure progress.

Exercise programs designed to train the body for real-life movements and activities, improving overall physical capability for daily tasks.

A systematic assessment of how a person walks, identifying abnormalities in stride, balance, and movement patterns that may contribute to pain or injury.

Application of heat (hot packs, warm towels, infrared) to increase blood flow, relax muscles, and reduce stiffness and pain.

Physiotherapy performed in warm water (typically a pool), using water's buoyancy and resistance to aid rehabilitation and reduce joint stress.

Increase in the size of muscle fibres, typically resulting from strength training or resistance exercises.

Compression of soft tissues (tendons or bursa) between bones, commonly occurring in the shoulder during overhead movements.

The body's natural immune response to injury or infection, characterised by redness, heat, swelling, and pain.

Exercises where the muscle contracts without changing length – holding a position against resistance without movement. Useful early in rehabilitation.

Exercises where the muscle changes length during contraction, producing movement through a range of motion against constant resistance.

A fibrous envelope that encloses a synovial joint, containing synovial fluid that lubricates the joint surfaces.

Strong bands of fibrous tissue that connect bones to other bones, providing stability to joints.

Malaysian Allied Health Professions Council – the statutory regulator under the Allied Health Professions Act 2016 (Act 774). All practising physiotherapists in Malaysia must hold an Annual Practising Certificate from MAHPC.

A high-velocity, low-amplitude thrust technique applied to a joint, often producing an audible click, used to restore joint movement.

A clinical technique where a physiotherapist applies resistance to specific muscles to evaluate strength, graded on a 0-5 scale.

Hands-on treatment techniques including joint mobilisation, manipulation, and soft tissue massage used to reduce pain and restore movement.

C-shaped cartilage discs in the knee that act as shock absorbers between the thighbone and shinbone.

Gentle, repetitive passive movements applied to a joint to restore normal range of motion and reduce stiffness.

A physical agent or technique used in physiotherapy treatment, such as heat, cold, ultrasound, or electrical stimulation.

A manual therapy technique applying sustained pressure to myofascial connective tissue to eliminate pain and restore motion.

Gentle exercises designed to mobilise and stretch peripheral nerves to reduce nerve-related pain and improve nerve function.

Damage or dysfunction of peripheral nerves, causing numbness, tingling, weakness, or pain, commonly in hands and feet.

An externally applied device (brace, splint, or support) used to modify the function or structure of the musculoskeletal or nervous system.

Standardised questionnaires and tests used to objectively measure a patient's functional status and track improvement over time.

Adjustable horizontal bars used in physiotherapy clinics for gait training, balance practice, and walking rehabilitation.

A group of muscles and tissues that form a sling at the base of the pelvis, supporting the bladder, uterus, and rectum.

An evaluation of body alignment in standing, sitting, and movement to identify deviations that may cause pain or dysfunction.

A rehabilitation principle where exercise intensity, resistance, or load is gradually increased over time to strengthen tissues and improve function.

The body's ability to sense its position, movement, and balance without visual input. Critical for joint stability and injury prevention.

Assessment of joint position sense – the body's ability to know where a limb is in space without looking at it.

An artificial device that replaces a missing body part, such as an artificial limb, designed to restore function and appearance.

A condition caused by compression or irritation of a nerve root in the spine, producing pain, numbness, or weakness along the nerve path.

Pain felt at a location other than where the actual cause is, for example, a trigger point in the neck referring pain to the head.

The process of restoring function, strength, and mobility after injury, surgery, or illness through a structured physiotherapy program.

An elastic band used in physiotherapy exercises to provide variable resistance for strengthening muscles progressively.

Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation – the traditional first-aid approach for acute soft tissue injuries to reduce swelling and pain.

The full extent of movement possible at a joint, measured in degrees. A key assessment metric in physiotherapy to track progress.

A group of four muscles and their tendons that surround the shoulder joint, providing stability and enabling rotation.

The longest and thickest nerve in the body, running from the lower back through the buttocks and down each leg.

A treatment using acoustic (sound) waves directed at damaged tissue to stimulate healing, reduce pain, and break down calcification.

Social Security Organisation of Malaysia – provides social security protection to employees including coverage for work-related injuries and physiotherapy treatment.

An involuntary, sudden contraction of a muscle or group of muscles, often causing pain and restricted movement.

Abnormal increase in muscle tone or stiffness, commonly seen after stroke or spinal cord injury, interfering with movement and speech.

Soft, gel-filled cushions between the vertebrae that absorb shock and allow spinal flexibility.

The use of a rigid or semi-rigid device to immobilise, support, or protect an injured body part during healing.

A partial dislocation of a joint where the bone surfaces are partially displaced but still in contact.

A large inflatable exercise ball used for core stability training, balance exercises, and stretching in physiotherapy.

The application of adhesive tape to support injured joints or muscles, improve alignment, or provide sensory feedback during movement.

A broad term for disease or degeneration of a tendon, encompassing both tendinitis (acute inflammation) and tendinosis (chronic degeneration).

Strong, flexible cords of tissue that connect muscles to bones, transmitting force to create movement.

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation – a therapy using low-voltage electrical currents through skin electrodes to relieve pain.

A portable device that delivers small electrical impulses through electrode pads placed on the skin to relieve pain.

Specific exercises prescribed by a physiotherapist to address individual impairments, restore function, and prevent recurrence of injury.

Equipment that applies a pulling force to the spine or limbs to relieve pressure on compressed nerves or discs.

A hyper-irritable spot within a taut band of muscle that is painful when compressed and can refer pain to other areas.

A clinical device that delivers therapeutic ultrasound waves to deep tissues to promote healing and reduce pain.

A treatment modality using high-frequency sound waves to promote tissue healing, increase blood flow, and reduce pain in deep tissues.

A pain measurement tool where patients rate their pain on a 0-10 scale, with 0 being no pain and 10 being the worst imaginable pain.

One of the individual bones that make up the spinal column. Humans have 33 vertebrae divided into cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, and coccygeal regions.

A specialised form of physiotherapy that treats dizziness, vertigo, and balance problems caused by inner ear or brain dysfunction.

Devices such as crutches, walking frames, and canes used to assist mobility and provide support during rehabilitation.