Physiotherapy glossary

These definitions are general education, not advice about your own care. Your physio or physical therapist can tell you what a term means for you, and their instructions come first.

A

Abduction

Moving an arm or leg out to the side, away from the middle of your body. Lifting your top leg while lying on your side is hip abduction. Side lying hip abduction

Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC)

New Zealand's scheme that pays part of the cost of treatment for injuries caused by an accident. You can see a physio without a GP referral, and the physio can lodge your claim at the first visit. ACC covers injuries, not illness or most problems that come on gradually. ACC physiotherapy guide

Achilles tendon

The thick tendon at the back of the ankle that joins the calf muscles to the heel bone. It takes load every time you push off to walk, run or jump. Achilles tendinopathy

Active range of motion (AROM)

How far you can move a joint with your own muscles and no help. Compare passive range of motion, where someone or something else moves the joint for you. Normal joint range of motion chart

Adduction

Moving an arm or leg toward the middle of your body, or across it. Squeezing a ball between your knees works the hip adductors, the muscles of the inner thigh. Adductor ball squeeze

B

Bursitis

A bursa is a small sac of fluid that cushions a bone from the muscles, tendons or skin moving over it. Bursitis means a bursa has become inflamed and sore. Pes anserine bursitis

C

Calf muscles (gastrocnemius and soleus)

The two main muscles at the back of the lower leg. Gastrocnemius crosses the knee and soleus lies underneath it. Both join the Achilles tendon and lift your heel when you rise onto your toes. Calf raises

Cash-based practice (cash-pay or self-pay physical therapy)

A US model in which patients pay the practice directly, instead of the practice billing an insurer under a network contract. Physical therapists cannot opt out of Medicare, so Medicare-covered care for a Medicare patient still goes through Medicare. Cash-based physical therapy guide

Cauda equina syndrome (CES)

The cauda equina is the bundle of nerve roots at the lower end of the spinal cord, and the syndrome happens when those roots are squeezed. Emergency: pain, tingling, numbness or weakness in both legs, numbness or altered feeling around your genitals or bottom, or new trouble peeing or controlling your bladder or bowels. The same applies if you lose feeling in one leg. Call emergency services or go to an emergency department straight away. These can be signs of pressure on the nerves at the base of the spine (cauda equina syndrome). Sciatica

Cervical myelopathy (degenerative cervical myelopathy, DCM)

Pressure on the spinal cord in the neck. It can make the hands clumsy or numb and walking stiff or unsteady. Emergency: new problems walking, for example your legs feel stiff, heavy or weak or you have become unsteady on your feet, new trouble controlling your bladder or bowels, or hands that suddenly become clumsy, for example you can no longer do up buttons. Call emergency services straight away. These can be signs of pressure on the spinal cord in the neck. Same day: hands that have slowly become clumsy, for example trouble doing up buttons or dropping things, or numbness in both hands. Get medical advice the same day. These can be signs of pressure on the spinal cord in the neck (cervical myelopathy). If the clumsiness or numbness gets worse quickly, call emergency services straight away. Same day: pain or tingling in both arms at the same time, rather than in one. Get medical advice the same day. This can also be a sign of pressure on the spinal cord in the neck. The neck pain page lists the other warning signs. Neck pain

Cervical spine (neck)

The neck part of the spine: seven vertebrae, numbered C1 to C7 from the skull down. The nerve roots that leave it supply the neck, shoulders and arms. Neck exercises

Chair stand test (30-second chair stand test, 30CST)

Counts how many times a person can stand up fully from a chair and sit back down in 30 seconds, with the arms crossed at the chest. The score is compared with published norms for age and sex. 30-second chair stand test

Clinical practice guideline (CPG)

A document that sets out recommended care for a condition, written by an expert panel after reviewing the research. US physical therapists often use APTA and JOSPT guidelines, and UK physios often use NICE guidance.

Closed chain exercise (closed kinetic chain exercise)

An exercise where your hand or foot stays fixed against the floor, a wall or a machine while you move, as in a squat or a push-up. Squat

Concentric contraction (concentric exercise)

A muscle working while it shortens. Your thigh muscles do this as you straighten up from a squat, and your calf does it as you rise onto your toes.

Core muscles (core)

The muscles around your trunk that hold and move the spine and pelvis. The word usually covers the abdominal muscles, the muscles along the spine, the diaphragm and the pelvic floor, though definitions vary. Core and pelvic floor exercises

CPT codes (Current Procedural Terminology)

The five-digit codes, kept up to date by the American Medical Association (AMA), that US clinicians use to bill for services. Many physical therapy codes are timed, and Medicare's 8-minute rule sets how those minutes turn into billing units. The 8-minute rule

D

Deep neck flexors

Small muscles at the front of the neck, lying close to the spine (longus colli and longus capitis). They help hold the head and neck steady, and the chin tuck is a common way to start training them. Deep neck flexor exercise

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT, blood clot in the leg)

A blood clot in a deep vein, usually in the leg. Same day: a calf or thigh that is newly swollen, warm, tender, red or darker than usual, has swollen veins that are sore to touch, or has a throbbing or cramping pain that does not fit your injury or condition, or that feels different from normal muscle soreness after exercise. This can be a sign of a blood clot (deep vein thrombosis), especially after surgery, an injury, time in a cast or boot, a long trip or a spell of being much less mobile than usual. Get medical advice the same day. If you are also short of breath or have chest pain, call emergency services.

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS)

Muscle soreness that builds over the hours after hard or unfamiliar exercise, is felt one to three days later and usually settles within a few days. Lowering movements, walking downhill and landing from jumps often bring it on. Pain that feels different from this normal soreness is a reason to check the stop signs on the exercise page. Dark pee (brown, red or tea-colored) after exercise, or muscles that become badly swollen, extremely painful or too weak to use, are not normal soreness. Go to an emergency department straight away, as these can be signs of serious muscle damage (rhabdomyolysis).

Dermatome

The area of skin supplied by the sensory fibers of one spinal nerve root. Testing feeling in these areas helps a clinician work out which nerve root may be affected. Dermatome and myotome charts

Direct access

Seeing a physical therapist (PT) in the US without a physician's referral first. APTA reports that since July 1, 2025, every state has provisional or unrestricted direct access, although some states still attach conditions and insurers can set their own referral rules. Direct access guide

Disc herniation (slipped disc, herniated disc, disc prolapse)

A disc is the soft cushion of tissue between two bones of the spine. In a herniation, part of its soft center pushes out through the tougher outer layer. It can be painful if it presses on or irritates a nerve. Lumbar disc herniation

Dorsiflexion

Bending the ankle so the top of your foot moves up toward your shin. You need it for walking, squatting and going down stairs. Ankle dorsiflexion mobilization with band

Dosage (dose)

How much of an exercise you do: the sets and reps or hold time, how often, and how hard. Our exercise pages give a typical starting range, such as 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps, and your physio will adjust this for you. The FITT principle

E

Eccentric exercise (eccentric contraction)

A muscle working while it lengthens under control, as in the slow lowering half of a calf raise. It is a common part of tendon rehab, for example for Achilles tendinopathy. It is also more likely than other muscle work to leave you sore a day or two later, especially when it is new to you. Eccentric calf raise

Eversion

Turning the sole of your foot outward, away from the middle of your body. The muscles on the outside of the lower leg (peroneals) do this. Ankle eversion with band

Extended health benefits (EHB, extended health care)

Private health insurance in Canada that many people get through work or buy for themselves. This and paying out of your own pocket are the usual ways to pay for physiotherapy at a private clinic. Each plan sets its own limits and says whether you need a referral. Extended health benefits guide

Extension

Straightening a joint, so the angle between the bones gets bigger. Straightening your knee is knee extension, and arching back from upright is extension of the spine. Seated knee extension with band

External rotation (lateral rotation)

Turning an arm or leg outward, so its front faces away from the middle of your body. Shoulder external rotation with a band is a standard rotator cuff exercise. Shoulder external rotation with band

Extras cover (general treatment cover)

Australian private health insurance that pays a benefit toward care outside hospital, physio included, within the policy's limits and after any waiting period. You pay the gap between that benefit and the clinic's fee. Private health insurance and physio in Australia

F

First contact physiotherapist (FCP, first contact practitioner)

A physiotherapist based in some UK GP practices whom you can see first for a muscle, bone or joint problem, instead of seeing a GP. NHS physio self-referral

FITT principle (FITT-VP)

A checklist for writing an exercise dose: frequency (how often), intensity (how hard), time (how long) and type (which exercise). FITT-VP adds volume and progression. FITT principle guide

Flare-up (flare)

A spell when your usual symptoms get worse for a while, often after a busy day or a jump in exercise, and sometimes for no clear reason. Many physios ease the program back one step until it settles, and check in with you if it has not settled after a few days. New symptoms, rather than more of the usual ones, are different: stop that exercise and get it checked. Exercise progression guide

Flexion

Bending a joint, so the angle between the bones gets smaller. Bending your knee is knee flexion. Raising your arm forward and up is shoulder flexion. Heel slides

Foot drop

Weakness of the muscles that lift the front of the foot. Same day: a leg or foot that is getting weaker, for example your foot drags, catches on the ground or slaps down when you walk (foot drop). Get medical advice the same day. If the weakness is getting worse by the hour, go to an emergency department. If one side of your face or body suddenly goes numb or weak, or your speech becomes slurred or muddled, call emergency services, even if it goes away. Sciatica

G

Glutes (gluteal muscles, buttock muscles)

The three muscles of the buttock: gluteus maximus, medius and minimus. Gluteus maximus, the biggest, straightens the hip when you stand up from a chair, climb stairs or push off to run. Glute bridge

Gluteus medius

The muscle at the side of your hip. It holds your pelvis level when you stand on one leg. When it is weak, the pelvis may drop on the other side as you walk, and the knee may drift inward on stairs and in squats. Clamshell

GP chronic condition management plan (GPCCMP)

An Australian Medicare plan, prepared by a GP, under which Medicare pays a benefit toward up to 5 allied health services a calendar year, and physio can be some or all of them. The physio sends the GP a written report after the first and last sessions, and at other times when there is a clinical need. GP chronic condition management plan guide

H

Hamstrings

The three muscles at the back of the thigh. They bend the knee and help straighten the hip, and they work hard when you sprint. Supine hamstring stretch

Hip flexors

The muscles at the front of the hip that lift your thigh toward your body. The main ones are iliopsoas, deep in the hip and groin, and rectus femoris, which is also one of the quadriceps. Hip flexor stretch

Hold (hold time)

How long you stay in one position, as in a stretch or an isometric exercise. Our pages write it in seconds, for example 'hold 5 s'.

Home exercise program (HEP, home exercise programme)

The exercises your physio or physical therapist gives you to do between visits, with the dose for each one. How to write a home exercise program

Hypermobility (joint hypermobility, double-jointed)

Joints that move further than most people's, sometimes called being double-jointed. Many people with hypermobile joints have no symptoms at all. Hypermobility

I

Impingement

Pinching of a tendon or other soft tissue between bones as a joint moves. For the shoulder, many guidelines now say subacromial pain instead, because pinching does not explain the problem well. Shoulder impingement

Internal rotation (medial rotation)

Turning an arm or leg inward, so its front faces toward the middle of your body. Reaching a hand up behind your back uses shoulder internal rotation.

Inversion

Turning the sole of your foot inward, toward the other foot. Rolling the ankle over this way is a common cause of ankle sprains. Ankle inversion with band

Isometric exercise (static exercise, isometrics)

The muscle works but the joint does not move, as when you push against a wall or hold a wall sit. Physios often use it early in rehab or when moving the joint hurts, and some tendon programs start with it. Wall sit

IT band (iliotibial band, ITB)

A thick band of tough tissue that runs down the outside of the thigh, from the hip to just below the knee. IT band syndrome

K

Kinesiophobia (fear of movement)

Fear of moving because you expect it to cause pain or harm. A 2022 review of trials (Siddall and colleagues) found that pain neuroscience education added to exercise reduced it in the short term. Pain neuroscience education

L

Lateral flexion (side bending)

Bending your neck or trunk to one side. Neck side bend

Ligament

A band of tough tissue that connects one bone to another at a joint and helps hold the joint steady. A stretched or torn ligament is a sprain. MCL sprain

Load

The demand an exercise or activity puts on your body: how heavy, how many, how fast and how often. Rehab usually raises load in small steps (progressive overload): enough for the body to keep adapting, but not so much at once that symptoms flare. Exercise progression guide

Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS)

A 20-item questionnaire in which the patient rates how hard everyday leg activities are, each from 0 to 4, for a total out of 80. A higher score means better function. LEFS guide

Lumbar spine (lower back)

The lower back part of the spine, usually five vertebrae numbered L1 to L5, between the ribcage and the pelvis. Lower back exercises

M

Manual muscle testing (MMT, muscle strength grading)

Grading muscle strength by hand, from 0 (no contraction) to 5 (normal power). The Medical Research Council (MRC) scale is a widely used version. Manual muscle testing grades

Medicare 8-minute rule (8-minute rule)

The US Medicare rule for turning minutes of timed treatment into 15-minute billing units. On its own, a timed service needs at least 8 minutes before it can be billed. When there are several, their minutes are added together first. 8-minute rule guide

Meniscus (menisci, knee cartilage)

One of the two C-shaped pads of cartilage in each knee, sitting between the thigh bone and the shin bone. Together they help spread load across the joint. Meniscus tear

Minimal clinically important difference (MCID)

The smallest change in a score that patients experience as meaningful. A change can be real, bigger than the minimal detectable change, and still too small to matter to the patient. Outcome measures guide

Minimal detectable change (MDC)

The smallest change in a score that is bigger than the measure's own error. A smaller change may just be a good day, a bad day or a question read differently. Outcome measures guide

Myotome

The group of muscles supplied by one spinal nerve root. Weakness in the key muscle for a level can point to the nerve root that may be affected. Dermatome and myotome charts

N

National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)

Australia's scheme that funds supports for people with disability. It can fund physiotherapy that relates to the participant's disability and helps them build or keep everyday abilities. Treatment of health conditions, and rehab after a recent operation or illness, belong to the health system instead. NDIS physiotherapy guide

Nerve glide (nerve flossing, neural mobilization, neurodynamic exercise)

A gentle exercise that slides a nerve back and forth through the tissues around it, by moving the joints along its path in turn. Sciatic and median nerve glides are common examples. Lying sciatic nerve glide

Nerve root

The part of a nerve where it branches away from the spinal cord and leaves the spine between two vertebrae. An irritated nerve root can send pain, tingling or weakness along that nerve's path.

Numeric pain rating scale (NPRS, NRS, 0 to 10 pain scale)

A pain score where you choose a whole number from 0, no pain, to 10, pain as bad as you can imagine. It rates how intense the pain is, not where it is or how much it stops you doing. Pain scales

O

One rep max (1RM)

The heaviest weight you could lift once with good form. It can be estimated from a lighter weight you lifted for up to 10 reps. One rep max calculator

Open chain exercise (open kinetic chain exercise)

An exercise where your hand or foot moves freely, as in a seated knee extension or a biceps curl. Seated knee extension with band

Osteoarthritis (OA)

A condition that makes joints painful and stiff. It most often affects the knees, the hips and the small joints of the hands. Knee osteoarthritis

Osteoporosis

A condition that weakens bones, so they become fragile and break more easily. It builds up slowly and is often found only after a bone breaks in a fall or a sudden knock. Osteoporosis

Out-of-network (OON, superbill)

In the US, seeing a physical therapist who has no contract with your health plan. You usually pay the clinic and send your plan a superbill, an itemized statement of the visit, to ask for money back. Whether the plan pays anything is up to the plan. Out-of-network physical therapy guide

Outcome measure

A standard questionnaire or test that is repeated during care to track change, such as a pain scale, the LEFS or a walking test. Each change is judged against the measure's MDC and MCID. Outcome measures guide

P

Pain monitoring model

A way to keep exercising with a set amount of pain. You rate pain from 0 to 10, and up to 5 during and just after exercise counts as acceptable, as long as it has settled by the next morning and is not creeping up from week to week. The stop signs on each exercise page still apply at any score. Pain monitoring model guide

Pain neuroscience education (PNE, pain science education)

Teaching patients how pain works, so they can see it as a protective output of the nervous system rather than a direct measure of damage. The evidence backs it as an add-on to exercise, not as a treatment on its own. Pain neuroscience education guide

Passive range of motion (PROM)

How far a joint moves when your muscles stay relaxed and someone or something else moves it, such as a physio, your other arm or a pulley.

Patient-Specific Functional Scale (PSFS)

A questionnaire in which the patient names the activities their problem makes hard, then rates each from 0 (unable to do it) to 10 (able to do it at the same level as before). PSFS guide

Pelvic floor muscles (pelvic floor)

A layer of muscles across the base of the pelvis, from the pubic bone at the front to the tailbone at the back. They support the bladder and bowel, and the womb in women, and help keep the bladder and bowel closed until you choose to go. Pelvic floor weakness

Physiotherapist (physical therapist, PT, physio)

A health professional who helps people affected by injury, illness or disability through movement and exercise, hands-on treatment, education and advice. Physical therapist is the US name for the same profession.

Physiotherapy (physical therapy, physio, PT)

Care that helps people move and function better when injury, illness or disability gets in the way. In the US it is called physical therapy.

Plan of care (POC)

In US outpatient therapy under Medicare Part B, the written plan that treatment must follow. It names the diagnoses and long-term goals and sets out the type, amount, frequency and duration of therapy, and a physician or nonphysician practitioner certifies it. Plan of care guide

Plantar fascia

A thick band of tissue along the sole of the foot, running from the heel bone to the base of the toes. It helps support the arch. Plantar fasciitis

Plantarflexion (plantar flexion)

Pointing your foot and toes down, or lifting your heel off the ground, as when you rise onto your toes. Ankle plantar flexion with band

Prehab (prehabilitation)

Getting ready for an operation, or a treatment such as cancer treatment, in the time before it starts, by improving your fitness and everyday function. It can include exercise, eating well, support for your mental well-being, and stopping smoking or cutting down on alcohol.

Progression

Making an exercise harder in small steps once you can do the current version with good control, at the effort you were given and without a flare the next day. Many physios change one thing at a time, such as load, reps, range, speed or balance. Exercise progression guide

Pronation

Turning the forearm so the palm faces down. At the foot, pronation is the natural inward roll of the foot, with the arch lowering, as it takes your weight with each step. Rolling in more than usual is called overpronation. Forearm pronation with band

Prone

Lying face down. Prone hip extension

Proprioception

Your body's sense of where your joints are and how they are moving, without looking. Balance exercises such as standing on one leg challenge it. Single leg stance

Q

Quadriceps (quads)

The four muscles at the front of the thigh. Together they straighten the knee, and one of them, rectus femoris, also helps lift the thigh at the hip. Quad sets

R

Radiculopathy (pinched nerve)

Symptoms from a nerve root that is squeezed or irritated where it branches away from the spinal cord. Typical ones are pain that spreads down an arm or leg, numbness, tingling and weakness. In the neck it is called cervical radiculopathy. Cervical radiculopathy

Range of motion (ROM)

How far a joint can move, measured in degrees. Clinicians often measure it with a goniometer, a hinged ruler with a protractor at the joint. Normal joint range of motion chart

Rating of perceived exertion (RPE, Borg scale)

A number you give to how hard an exercise feels. On the common 0 to 10 version, moderate effort is about 5 or 6 and vigorous effort starts at about 7 or 8. The scales come from Gunnar Borg's work on perceived exertion. FITT principle guide

Red flags

Signs and symptoms that raise the suspicion of a serious cause behind pain, such as a fracture, an infection, cancer, or pressure on the spinal cord or the nerves at the base of the spine. For most of them, research on how well they pick out a serious problem is limited, so clinicians weigh them together with the rest of the history and examination. Some, such as the signs of cauda equina syndrome, need emergency help on their own. Every condition page on this site lists its red flags with what to do about each. Red flags in physiotherapy

Regression

Making an exercise easier, for example with less load, a smaller range or more support, when pain climbs past the agreed limit, the next morning is worse or your technique breaks down. It is a normal part of rehab, not a failure. Exercise progression guide

Remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM)

A family of US CPT codes that Medicare pays for tracking a patient's response to treatment at home through a medical device, and for the time spent managing their care from that data. Unlike remote physiologic monitoring, it can use data such as therapy adherence. Remote therapeutic monitoring guide

Repetition (rep)

One complete movement of an exercise, such as one lift and lower. '10 reps' means doing it 10 times in a row.

Resistance band (exercise band, TheraBand)

A stretchy band used to add resistance to an exercise. The color tells you how strong a band is, but each brand uses its own color scale. Resistance band row

Rotator cuff

Four muscles and their tendons that wrap around the shoulder joint (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor and subscapularis). They keep the ball of the upper arm centered in its socket as the arm moves. Rotator cuff tendinopathy

S

Sacroiliac joint (SI joint, SIJ)

The joint between the base of the spine (the sacrum) and the pelvis, one on each side. It moves only a little. Sacroiliac joint pain

Scapular retraction (shoulder blade squeeze)

Drawing your shoulder blades back and in toward the spine. The opposite, moving them forward around the ribcage, is protraction. Prone scapular retraction

Sciatica

Pain, tingling or numbness that comes from irritation of or pressure on the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back to the feet. It is usually felt in the bottom and the back of one leg. A slipped disc is the most common cause. Sciatica

Self-referral

Booking physiotherapy yourself, without seeing a doctor first. In many parts of England adults can refer themselves to NHS musculoskeletal services. In the US the same idea is called direct access. NHS physio self-referral

Set

A group of repetitions done one after another, followed by a rest. '3 sets of 10' means 10 reps, a rest, then the same twice more. Many programs start with 2 to 3 sets. Your physio will adjust this.

Six-minute walk test (6MWT)

Measures how far a person can walk on a flat, hard surface in 6 minutes. The distance is compared with a value predicted from age, sex, height and weight. Six-minute walk test calculator

SMART goals

Goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. An example: climb the stairs at home with knee pain no higher than 3 out of 10 within 10 weeks. SMART goals guide

SOAP note

A clinical note in four parts. Subjective is what the patient tells you, Objective is what you measure and see, Assessment is your reasoning, and Plan is what happens next. SOAP notes guide

Sprain

A stretched or torn ligament, the tissue that connects bones at a joint. The ankle is a common place for one. Ankle sprain

Stop signs

The symptoms listed on each of our exercise pages that mean you should stop that exercise. Each one says what to do next, from telling your physio to calling emergency services. Home exercise sheet maker

Strain (pulled muscle)

A stretched or torn muscle or tendon. Hamstring and calf strains are common in sport. Hamstring strain

Supination

Turning the forearm so the palm faces up, as when you hold a bowl of soup. At the foot, it is the opposite of pronation: the foot rolls outward and the arch rises. Forearm supination with band

Supine

Lying on your back, face up. Supine hamstring stretch

T

Talk test

A simple check of aerobic effort. At moderate intensity you can talk but not sing, and at vigorous intensity you cannot say more than a few words without pausing for a breath. FITT principle guide

Target heart rate (Karvonen method, heart rate reserve)

A heart rate range to aim for during aerobic exercise. The Karvonen method works it out from your age and your resting heart rate. Heart rate is a poor guide for people taking beta blockers, and anyone with heart disease should have their intensity set by their medical team. Target heart rate calculator

Telehealth (telerehabilitation, virtual physio, video consultation)

Physiotherapy or physical therapy delivered remotely, usually by live video. Between calls you keep going with your home exercise program. Telehealth physical therapy guide

Tendinitis (tendonitis)

An older word for a painful tendon, where the ending '-itis' means inflammation. For persistent tendon pain linked to load, an international expert consensus (ICON 2019) prefers the term tendinopathy. Calcific tendinitis, where calcium builds up in a tendon, keeps the older name. Calcific tendinitis

Tendinopathy

Persistent tendon pain and loss of function related to mechanical loading, the preferred term in the ICON 2019 consensus. Rehab for it is usually built around exercise that loads the tendon in gradual steps. Patellar tendinopathy

Tendon

Tough tissue that connects a muscle to a bone. The Achilles tendon, for example, joins the calf muscles to the heel.

Thoracic spine (upper back, mid back)

The middle section of the spine, 12 vertebrae numbered T1 to T12, where the ribs attach. It runs from the base of your neck to the bottom of your ribcage and includes the part of your back between your shoulder blades. Upper back exercises

Timed Up and Go test (TUG)

Times how long a person takes to stand up from a chair, walk 3 meters (about 10 feet), turn, walk back and sit down. Clinicians use it to look at mobility and falls risk. Timed Up and Go test

V

Valsalva maneuver (Valsalva manoeuvre, breath holding)

Holding your breath and bearing down while you strain, as people often do when lifting something heavy. The American College of Sports Medicine advises people with high blood pressure to avoid it during strength training, because it can push blood pressure very high and cause dizziness or fainting. That is why many of our exercise pages ask you to breathe steadily and never hold your breath.

Visual analog scale (VAS, visual analogue scale)

A pain score marked on a 100 mm line with 'no pain' at one end and the worst pain imaginable at the other. The score is the distance in millimeters from the 'no pain' end to the mark. Pain scales

W

Weight-bearing (weight bearing)

Putting weight through a leg, or an arm, as you stand, walk or lean on it. After a fracture or surgery your team may limit it, for example to partial or non-weight-bearing. Follow their limit over any general advice, including the exercise pages on this site.

References

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2. Scott A, Squier K, Alfredson H, et al. ICON 2019: International Scientific Tendinopathy Symposium Consensus: Clinical Terminology. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2020;54(5):260-262. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2019-100885
3. Finucane LM, Downie A, Mercer C, Greenhalgh SM, Boissonnault WG, Pool-Goudzwaard AL, Beneciuk JM, Leech RL, Selfe J. International framework for red flags for potential serious spinal pathologies. Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy. 2020;50(7):350-372. doi:10.2519/jospt.2020.9971
4. NHS. DVT (deep vein thrombosis). Last reviewed 30 April 2026. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/deep-vein-thrombosis-dvt/
5. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Cauda equina syndrome. OrthoInfo. Accessed 29 September 2026. https://www.orthoinfo.org/en/diseases--conditions/cauda-equina-syndrome/
6. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Cervical radiculopathy (pinched nerve). OrthoInfo. Accessed 29 September 2026. https://www.orthoinfo.org/en/diseases--conditions/cervical-radiculopathy-pinched-nerve/
7. NHS. Sciatica. Last reviewed 3 December 2024. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sciatica/
8. NHS. Slipped disc. Last reviewed 24 April 2024. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/slipped-disc/
9. NHS. Osteoarthritis. Last reviewed 20 March 2023. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/osteoarthritis/
10. NHS. Osteoporosis. Last reviewed 13 October 2022. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/osteoporosis/
11. MedlinePlus, US National Library of Medicine. Sprains and strains. Last updated 22 September 2025. https://medlineplus.gov/sprainsandstrains.html
12. MedlinePlus, US National Library of Medicine. Bursitis. Last updated 25 June 2025. https://medlineplus.gov/bursitis.html
13. Cleveland Clinic. Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Last reviewed 19 December 2025. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/delayed-onset-muscle-soreness
14. Cleveland Clinic. Rhabdomyolysis. Last updated 24 February 2023. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21184-rhabdomyolysis
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