Common Physical Therapy Abbreviations and Designations

A comprehensive collection of clinical, professional, and interprofessional physical therapy abbreviations and certifications based on the provided reference guide.

AAROM

active assistive range of motion

ABD

abduction

ACDF

anterior cervical discectomy and fusion

ACL

anterior cruciate ligament

ADL

activity/activities of daily living

AFO

ankle foot orthosis

AROM

active range of motion

c (with a line over it)

with

CABG

coronary artery bypass graft (open heart surgery)

CGA

contact guard assist

CPM

continuous passive motion

FIM

functional independence level (also called FIM score)

HEP

home exercise program

HNP

herniated nucleus pulposus (herniated disc)

ICD-10

10th revision: International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems

NMES

neuromuscular electrical stimulation

PNF

proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation

PROM

passive range of motion

RICE

rest, ice, compression, elevation

s (with a line over a lowercase S)

without

TENS

transcutaneous electrical neuromuscular stimulation

THA

total hip arthroplasty

TLSO

thoracic lumbar sacral orthosis

WBAT

weight bearing as tolerated

CCS

Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Certified Specialist (official certification within the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties)

CHT

Certified Hand Therapist

CSCS

Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist

ECS

Clinical Electrophysiologic Certified Specialist (official certification within the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties)

FAAOMPT

Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists

GCS

Geriatric Certified Specialist (official certification within the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties)

NCS

Neurologic Certified Specialist (official certification within the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties)

OCS

Orthopedic Certified Specialist (official certification within the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties)

PCS

Pediatric Certified Specialist (official certification within the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties)

SCS

Sports Certified Specialist (official certification within the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties)

WCS

Women’s Certified Specialist (official certification within the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties)

APTA

American Physical Therapy Association

COTA

Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant

DPT

Doctor of Physical Therapy

OTR/L

Occupational Therapist, Registered/Licensed

SLP

Speech-Language Pathologist/Pathology

Text Expander

A feature built into the WebPT EMR that changes designated abbreviations into their full-text equivalents to support compliance and efficiency