Medical Terminology for Health Professions - Chapter 4

abduction

away from, to lead, action

adduction

arm moves inward and toward the side of the body

adhesion

band of fibers that holds structures together abnormally; can form as the result of an injury or surgery.

ataxia

without, coordination, condition

atonic

lacking normal muscle tone or strength

atrophy

weakness or wearing away of body tissues and structures

bradykinesia

slow, movement, condition

carpal tunnel syndrome

occurs when the tendons that pass through the carpal tunnel are chronically overused and become inflamed and swollen

chronic fatigue syndrome

a disorder of unknown cause that affects many body systems

circumduction

Circular movement of a limb at the far end

contracture

the permanent tightening of fascia, muscles, tendons, ligaments, or skin that occurs when normally elastic connective tissues are replaced with nonelastic fibrous tissues

dorsiflexion

movement that bends the foot upward at the ankle

dyskinesia

bad, movement, condition

dystaxia

bad, coordination, condition

dystonia

bad, tone, condition

electromyography

electricity, muscle, the process of producing a picture or record

electroneuromyography

electricity, nerve, muscle, the process of producing a picture or record

epicondylitis

on, condyle, inflammation

ergonomics

study of the human factors that affect the design and operation of tools and the work environment

exercise physiologist

a specialist who works under the supervision of a physician to develop, implement, and coordinate exercise programs, and administer medical tests to promote physical fitness

fasciitis

fascia, inflammation

fibromyalgia syndrome

debilitating chronic condition characterized by fatigue, diffuse and or specific muscle, joint, or bone pain and a wide range of other symptoms

ganglion cyst

a harmless fluid-filled swelling that occurs most commonly on the outer surface of the wrist

heel spur

calcium deposit in the plantar fascia near its attachment to the calcaneus (heel) bone that can be one of the causes of plantar fasciitis

hemiparesis

half, partial or complete paralysis

hemiplegia

half, paralysis

hyperkinesia

excessive, movement, condition

hypertonia

excessive, tone, condition

hypokinesia

deficient, movement, condition

hypotonia

deficient, tone, condition

impingement syndrome

occurs when inflamed and swollen tendons caught in the narrow space between the bones within the shoulder joint

intermittent claudication

pain in the leg muscles that occurs during exercise and is relieved by rest

muscular dystrophy

is properly referred to as muscular dystrophies. This general term describes a group of more than 30 genetic diseases that are characterized by progressive weakness and degeneration of the skeletal muscles that control movement, without affecting the nervous system

myasthenia gravis

a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the neuromuscular junction and produces serious weakness of voluntary muscles

myocele

muscle, hernia

myoclonus

muscle, violent action, a singular noun ending

myofascial release

a specialized soft tissue manipulation technique used to ease the pain of conditions such as fibromyalgia, myofascial pain syndrome, movement restrictions, temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ), and carpal tunnel syndrome

myolysis

muscle, destruction or breaking down in disease

myoparesis

muscle, partial or incomplete paralysis

myorrhaphy

muscle, surgical suturing

myotonia

muscle, tone, condition

nocturnal myoclonus

is jerking of the limbs that can occur normally as a person is falling asleep

oblique

slanted or at an angle

paralysis

the loss of sensation and voluntary muscle movements in a muscle through disease or injury to its nerve supply

paraplegia

is the paralysis of both legs and the lower part of the body

physiatrist

physician who specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation with the focus on restoring function

planter fasciitis

inflammation of the plantar fascia on the sole of the foot

polymyositis

many, muscle, inflammation

pronation

the act of rotating the arm or leg so that the palm of the hand or sole of the foot is turned downward or backward

quadriplegia

four, paralysis

sarcopenia

flesh, deficiency

shin splint

a painful condition caused by the muscle tearing away from the tibia

singultus

AKA hiccups, is myoclonus of the diaphragm that causes the characteristic hiccup sound with each spasm

spasmodic torticollis

aka wryneck, is a stiff neck due to spasmodic contraction of the neck muscles that pull the head toward the affected side

sphincter

is a ring-like muscle that tightly constricts the opening of a passageway

sprain

is an injury to the body of the muscle or the attachment of a tendon

tenodesis

tendon, to bind or tie together

tenodynia

tendon, pain

tenolysis

tendon, to set free

tenorrhaphy

tendon, surgical suturing