Physical Medicine Rehabilitation Glossary

Acquired Brain Injury; a collective term for brain damage occurring after birth from causes other than progressive neuro...

Routine self-care tasks—such as bathing, dressing, feeding, and toileting—used as benchmarks for functional assessment i...

A structured programme of graded cardiovascular exercise designed to reverse the physiological effects of prolonged inac...

A nerve fibre that carries sensory signals from the periphery toward the central nervous system; used in PM&R documentat...

The act of walking or moving about, used in rehabilitation documentation to describe a patient's functional mobility sta...

An abnormal walking pattern adopted to avoid or minimise pain, typically characterised by a shortened stance phase on th...

A standardised five-grade classification system (A through E) developed by the American Spinal Injury Association to cha...

Any device, software, or system used to maintain, increase, or improve the functional capabilities of a person with a di...

Abbreviation for Assistive Technology; used in rehabilitation prescriptions, funding applications, and interdisciplinary...

A potentially life-threatening syndrome of sudden, severe hypertension triggered by a noxious stimulus below the level o...

A standardised ordinal scale measuring functional independence in ten basic activities of daily living, widely used in s...

A physiatric procedure in which botulinum toxin is injected into overactive muscles to reduce pathological tone, manage...

A six-stage clinical scale describing the sequential recovery of motor function following stroke-related hemiplegia, fro...

A bladder management technique in which a catheter is inserted into the urethra at regular intervals to drain urine, per...

A series of rhythmic, involuntary muscular contractions and relaxations elicited by a sustained stretch reflex, typicall...

The standardised institutional claim form (also known as the UB-04) used by inpatient rehabilitation facilities and othe...

A systematic, goal-oriented intervention aimed at restoring or compensating for deficits in attention, memory, executive...

A permanent shortening of muscle, tendon, or joint capsule tissue resulting in restricted range of motion, often a compl...

A manual bladder-emptying technique in which external pressure is applied to the suprapubic area to assist voiding in pa...

A standardised pattern of locomotion using crutches, classified by the sequence in which the crutches and feet are advan...

The physiological deterioration of musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and metabolic function resulting from prolonged inac...

Paralysis or motor impairment affecting symmetrical parts of the body, most commonly the lower limbs, as seen in spastic...

Standard abbreviation for Durable Medical Equipment; appears throughout rehabilitation prescriptions, insurance document...

Medically necessary equipment designed for repeated use by a patient with a medical condition or disability, prescribed...