Kinesiophobia
Pronunciation: kin-ee-see-oh-FOH-bee-ah
An excessive, debilitating fear of physical movement and activity resulting from a belief that such movement will cause pain, injury, or re-injury.
Full Definition
Kinesiophobia is a well-validated construct in rehabilitation medicine, measured using instruments such as the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK). In geriatric rehabilitation, it frequently complicates recovery following falls, fractures, or cardiac events, as patients may refuse or curtail therapy participation out of fear rather than physical incapacity. Editors should note the term is derived from the Greek 'kinesis' (movement) and 'phobos' (fear) and is correctly spelled with a single 's' and no hyphen. It should not be confused with activity avoidance, which is a behavioral pattern, nor with pain catastrophising, which is a related but distinct cognitive construct. The Tampa Scale acronym TSK should be expanded on first use.
Usage
Usage note: Single 's', no hyphen: 'kinesiophobia', not 'kinesio-phobia' or 'kinesiaphobia'. Distinguish clearly from post-fall syndrome in editorial contexts.
In Context
- "Kinesiophobia was identified as a primary barrier to rehabilitation progress following the patient's fragility fracture." — Physiotherapy progress note
- "The patient scored 48 on the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia, indicating high levels of movement-related fear." — Rehabilitation psychology assessment report