Common Medical Terminology

 Published: 20/10/2020

Updated: 06/11/2020

Here are a few key commonly used medical terms and their definitions. I have organised them by physiotherapy speciality. 

Tip: the best way to remember these is to make definition flashcards and review them regularly

Musculoskeletal

Paraesthesia = refers to a sponstaneously occuring tingling sensation, sometimes described as pins and needles. (Oxford University Press, 2015)

Radiculopathy = refers to a range of symptoms produced by the pinching of a nerve root in the spinal column. Symptoms frequently include pain, weakness, numbness and tingling. (Johns Hopkins Medicine, 2020)

Myelopathy = an injury to the spinal cord caused by severe compression that may have been a result of spinal stenosis, disc herniation, autoimmune disorders or other trauma. (Penn Medicine, 2020)

Diplopia = Double vision. (Oxford University Press, 2015)

Dysarthria = a speech disorder in where the pronunciation is unclear although the language content and meaning are normal. (Oxford University Press, 2015)

Dysphagia (aphasia) = disorder of language affecting an individual's generation, the content of their speech and their ability to understand speech. (Oxford University Press, 2015)

Nystagmus = rapid involunatry eye movements which can be side to side, up and down, rotatory or a mixture. (Oxford University Press, 2015)

Clinical Physio instagram Common Musculoskeletal terms part 1

Neurological

Follow this link to the  ClinicalPhysio instagram. 

Common Neurological Terms Part 1

Common Neurological Terms Part 2

References

Johns Hopkins Medicine (2010) Radiculopathy. Available at:https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/radiculopathy#:~:text=Radiculopathy%20describes%20a%20range%20of,%2C%20weak  (Accessed: 20 October 2020).

Penn Medicine (2020) Myelopathy. Available at: https://www.pennmedicine.org/for-patients-and-visitors/patient-information/conditions-treated-a-to-z/myelopathy#:~:text=Myelopathy%20is%20an%20injury%20to,autoimmune%20disorders%20or%20other%20trauma. (Accessed: 20 October 2020).

Oxford University Press (2015) Oxford Concise Medical Dictionary. 9th edn. Oxford: United Kingdom.