Clinical Rehabilitation Glossary
100 terms total — 24 showing — Last updated 15 Sep 2026
perseveration
The involuntary and inappropriate repetition of a word, phrase, gesture, or action that continues beyond its relevant context, commonly observed following acquired brain injury.
Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy
A rehabilitation approach in which the unaffected limb is restrained to force intensive use of the impaired limb, most c...
contracture
A permanent shortening of muscle, tendon, or joint capsule that results in restricted range of motion, commonly addresse...
COPM
Canadian Occupational Performance Measure; a client-centred, semi-structured interview outcome measure used by occupatio...
Craig Handicap Assessment and Reporting Technique
A structured interview-based outcome measure assessing participation levels in individuals with spinal cord injury acros...
deconditioning
The physiological deterioration of cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and metabolic function resulting from prolonged inac...
discharge planning
The structured process of preparing a rehabilitation patient for safe and appropriate transition from an inpatient setti...
dysarthria
A motor speech disorder caused by neurological damage to the muscles controlling speech, resulting in slurred, slow, or...
dysphagia
Difficulty or discomfort in swallowing, frequently addressed in rehabilitation settings as a consequence of neurological...
Dyspraxia
A developmental or acquired disorder characterised by difficulty planning and executing coordinated motor movements, dis...
edema
Excess fluid accumulation in body tissues, documented in rehabilitation as a common complication affecting limb function...
FES
Abbreviation for Functional Electrical Stimulation, a rehabilitation technique that applies electrical current to paraly...
FIM
Abbreviation for Functional Independence Measure, the standardised rehabilitation outcome scale assessing motor and cogn...
Functional Ambulation Classification
A six-level ordinal scale (0–5) used in rehabilitation to categorise a patient's walking ability based on the degree of...
functional capacity evaluation
A systematic battery of tests used to objectively measure an individual's physical capabilities and limitations in relat...
Functional Electrical Stimulation
A therapeutic modality in which electrical currents activate paralysed or weakened muscles during functional tasks such...
Functional Gait Assessment
A standardised 10-item clinical tool used to evaluate dynamic balance and gait ability across varied walking conditions,...
Functional Independence Measure
A standardised 18-item clinical tool used to assess a patient's level of disability and the burden of care during inpati...
Functional Reach Test
A standardised clinical balance assessment measuring the maximum distance a person can reach forward beyond arm's length...
gait analysis
Systematic measurement and description of a patient's walking pattern, including kinematics, kinetics, and electromyogra...
goal attainment scaling
An individualised outcome measurement method in which rehabilitation goals are pre-set on a five-point scale, allowing p...
goniometry
The clinical technique of measuring joint angles using a goniometer to quantify range of motion in rehabilitation assess...
graded motor imagery
A sequenced rehabilitation programme using laterality recognition, explicit motor imagery, and mirror therapy to treat c...
hemiparesis
Partial or incomplete weakness on one side of the body, commonly resulting from stroke or brain injury and distinguished...
hemiplegia
Complete paralysis of one side of the body, typically resulting from stroke, brain injury, or other neurological insult.