Physical Therapy Terms: Complete Guide to Physiotherapy Terminology

Introduction to Physical Therapy Vocabulary

Physical therapy encompasses a vast and nuanced vocabulary that serves as the foundation for effective communication between healthcare providers, patients, and rehabilitation specialists. Understanding these terms empowers patients to actively participate in their recovery journey, facilitates clear communication with healthcare teams, and enables informed decision-making throughout the rehabilitation process. This comprehensive glossary addresses the essential terminology that every individual seeking physiotherapy services in Dubai should understand, from fundamental concepts to advanced therapeutic modalities.

The field of physical therapy has evolved significantly over the past century, incorporating evidence-based practices, advanced technologies, and sophisticated treatment approaches that require precise terminology for accurate implementation and communication. Whether you are recovering from surgery, managing a chronic condition, rehabilitating from injury, or seeking to optimize athletic performance, familiarity with these terms will enhance your therapeutic experience and outcomes.

At Healer’s Clinic Dubai, our team of experienced physiotherapists employs a comprehensive understanding of these therapeutic concepts to develop individualized treatment plans that address each patient’s unique needs and goals. The terminology presented in this guide reflects current best practices and evidence-based approaches recognized internationally and applied in our Dubai-based practice.

Range of Motion

Definition and Core Concepts

Range of Motion, commonly abbreviated as ROM, represents the measurable distance and direction through which a joint can be moved. This fundamental concept in rehabilitation medicine encompasses both the flexibility of soft tissues surrounding a joint and the mechanical integrity of the joint itself. ROM is typically expressed in degrees of angular movement, with each joint in the human body having established normal values based on anatomical structure and individual variability. Assessment of range of motion is a cornerstone of physiotherapy evaluation, providing objective data that guides treatment planning, monitors progress, and helps determine when functional goals have been achieved or require modification.

The measurement of range of motion employs standardized techniques and anatomical landmarks to ensure consistency and reliability. The universal goniometer, a hinged protractor with two arms, is the most common measurement tool, with one arm aligned along the stationary bone and the other along the moving bone segment. More advanced measurement tools include inclinometers, electrogoniometers, and motion capture systems that provide greater precision and the ability to measure dynamic movement patterns. Normal values vary by joint, age, and individual factors, with expected ranges for flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, and rotation depending on the specific joint being assessed.

Types of Range of Motion

Active Range of Motion, abbreviated AROM, refers to the movement a patient can achieve independently using their own muscle strength, providing insight into neuromuscular function and voluntary control. This type of measurement assesses the patient’s ability to initiate and control movement without external assistance, revealing important information about muscle strength, coordination, and voluntary motor control. AROM is particularly valuable for tracking recovery of neuromuscular function following neurological injuries or monitoring progress in conditions affecting muscle strength.

Passive Range of Motion, known as PROM, describes the movement achievable when an external force, such as a therapist, moves the joint through its range, testing the mechanical limits of soft tissue structures without the variable of muscle performance. PROM assessment helps identify restrictions arising from joint structure, capsule tightness, muscle length, or connective tissue limitations. The difference between active and passive range of motion provides valuable diagnostic information, with significant discrepancies suggesting neuromuscular involvement, pain inhibition, or voluntary restriction.

Active-Assistive Range of Motion, or AAROM, falls between these categories, involving some patient effort combined with external support, often used in early rehabilitation when full active movement is not yet possible. This approach allows patients to engage their muscles while receiving assistance to complete movements beyond their independent capability. AAROM is particularly useful following surgery, injury, or in conditions where muscle weakness limits full active movement but some voluntary control remains.

Normal Range of Motion Values

Understanding normal range of motion values helps patients and practitioners identify restrictions and track progress. The cervical spine demonstrates remarkable mobility, with flexion reaching approximately 45 degrees, extension around 45 degrees, lateral flexion of 45 degrees bilaterally, and rotation of 60 degrees to each side. The shoulder complex, the most mobile joint in the body, shows flexion of approximately 180 degrees, extension of 60 degrees, abduction of 180 degrees, internal rotation of 70 degrees, and external rotation of 90 degrees.

The elbow joint functions primarily as a hinge, demonstrating flexion to approximately 150 degrees and full extension to 0 degrees, though some individuals maintain a small flexion contracture of 5 to 10 degrees that remains functionally normal. Forearm pronation and supination each achieve approximately 80 to 90 degrees. The wrist moves through 80 degrees of flexion, 70 degrees of extension, 20 degrees of radial deviation, and 30 degrees of ulnar deviation.

The lumbar spine demonstrates flexion of approximately 60 degrees, extension of 25 degrees, lateral flexion of 25 degrees bilaterally, and rotation of 30 degrees to each side. The hip joint, a large ball-and-socket articulation, achieves flexion of 120 degrees, extension of 30 degrees, abduction of 45 degrees, adduction of 30 degrees, internal rotation of 45 degrees, and external rotation of 45 degrees. The knee functions primarily as a hinge, achieving 135 degrees of flexion with full extension to 0 degrees. The ankle demonstrates 50 degrees of dorsiflexion and 45 degrees of plantarflexion.

Manual Therapy

Definition and Core Principles

Manual therapy is a specialized area of physical therapy comprising skilled hand movements intended to improve tissue extensibility; increase range of motion; induce relaxation; mobilize or manipulate soft tissues and joints; modulate pain; and reduce soft tissue swelling, inflammation, or restriction. This hands-on approach includes techniques such as joint mobilization, joint manipulation, soft tissue mobilization, myofascial release, and neural tissue mobilization. Manual therapy is distinguished from other physiotherapy interventions by the direct physical contact and specific manual forces applied by the therapist to achieve therapeutic effects.

The effects of manual therapy are both mechanical and neurological. Mechanically, manual therapy can stretch tight structures, break adhesions, realign joint surfaces, and improve synovial fluid circulation within joints. Neurologically, manual therapy affects pain processing through gate control mechanisms, influences muscle tone through proprioceptive input, and may modulate autonomic nervous system activity. The selection of specific techniques depends on the clinical presentation, treatment goals, patient preferences, and the therapist’s training and experience.

Joint Mobilization Techniques

Joint mobilization involves the application of graded oscillatory movements to joints at varying speeds and amplitudes to improve mobility, reduce pain, and optimize joint function. These techniques are typically classified using the Kaltenborn system, which grades mobilization from Grade I through Grade V based on the amplitude of movement and the position within the available range. Grade I and II mobilizations involve small-amplitude movements at the beginning of the range and primarily address pain and stiffness. Grade III mobilizations use large-amplitude movements to the middle of the range to address mobility restrictions. Grade IV mobilizations employ small-amplitude movements at the end range to stretch tight structures. Grade V represents manipulation, a high-velocity, low-amplitude thrust technique.

Mobilization techniques are applied based on careful clinical reasoning that considers the patient’s irritability, the nature of the tissue restriction, and the desired treatment effect. Low-grade mobilizations may be appropriate for painful, irritable conditions where the goal is pain relief and improved tolerance to movement. Higher-grade mobilizations become appropriate as tissue extensibility improves and the focus shifts to restoring full mobility. The oscillation rate, typically one to two cycles per second, creates rhythmic stress on tissues that promotes viscoelastic deformation and neurophysiological effects.

Joint Manipulation

Joint manipulation, also called adjustment or thrust technique, involves a high-velocity, low-amplitude force applied to a joint to restore optimal position and movement. This technique produces an audible cavitation, a popping sound resulting from the release of gases within the joint synovial fluid. Manipulation is believed to work through several mechanisms, including breaking adhesions, repositioning joint surfaces, stimulating joint receptors, and modulating pain through neurological pathways. The technique requires precise positioning, specific manual contacts, and a controlled thrust delivered at the end of the available passive range.

Manipulation carries a small but recognized risk of adverse events, particularly involving the cervical and lumbar spine. Complications may include temporary soreness, headache, or in rare cases, more serious neurological or vascular events. Careful patient screening for contraindications is essential before manipulation, including assessment for osteoporosis, fracture risk, vascular insufficiency, and severe degenerative changes. When appropriately applied by trained practitioners, manipulation is generally considered safe and effective for appropriate clinical indications.

Soft Tissue Mobilization

Soft tissue mobilization includes techniques such as massage, myofascial release, and instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization to address muscle tension, fascial restrictions, and tissue quality. These techniques work on muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, and other soft tissues to improve extensibility, reduce adhesions, enhance circulation, and modulate pain. Soft tissue techniques may be applied superficially or deep to muscle layers, depending on the target tissue and treatment goals.

Myofascial release is a gentle, sustained technique that addresses restrictions in the fascial system, the continuous connective tissue network that surrounds and interconnects all structures in the body. Practitioners apply low-load, long-duration stretch to fascial restrictions, allowing the tissue to release gradually. This approach recognizes the fascial system’s role in movement efficiency, pain transmission, and overall biomechanical function.

Therapeutic Exercise

Definition and Purpose

Therapeutic exercise refers to the prescription of bodily movement to improve function, reduce disability, and maintain health. This active intervention requires patient participation and encompasses a wide range of exercises designed to improve flexibility, strength, endurance, balance, coordination, and functional mobility. Unlike passive modalities that are applied to the patient, therapeutic exercise engages the patient’s own muscular effort to produce physiological adaptations and functional improvements.

The prescription of therapeutic exercise requires careful consideration of the patient’s current status, goals, and context. Exercise parameters including type, intensity, duration, frequency, and progression must be individualized to challenge the patient appropriately without causing excessive stress that could lead to injury or setback. The therapeutic exercise program typically evolves through phases, beginning with basic movements and gradually advancing to more complex, demanding exercises as the patient progresses.

Strengthening Exercises

Strengthening exercises involve resistance training designed to increase muscle force production. These exercises may utilize body weight, resistance bands, free weights, machine weights, or specialized equipment to provide resistance against which muscles contract. Strengthening programs follow principles of overload, specificity, and progression to achieve desired adaptations in muscle strength, power, or endurance.

Progressive resistance exercise involves gradually increasing the resistance, repetition, or volume of exercise over time to continue challenging the musculoskeletal system and producing adaptation. The rate of progression depends on the patient’s response, the nature of the condition, and the treatment goals. Too rapid progression risks injury, while too conservative progression may fail to produce adequate stimulus for adaptation.

Isometric exercises involve muscle contraction without joint movement, producing force against an immovable object or held position. These exercises are valuable in early rehabilitation when joint movement may be contraindicated, following surgery when protected ranges are required, or for patients who cannot tolerate dynamic exercise. Isometric contractions increase muscle activation without the shear forces associated with movement, making them appropriate for many inflammatory conditions.

Flexibility and Stretching

Flexibility exercises aim to improve the length of soft tissues and the range of motion at joints. Stretching techniques include static stretching, where a position is held at the point of mild discomfort for an extended period; dynamic stretching, which involves moving through ranges of motion in a controlled manner; and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, which combines stretching with muscle contraction.

The optimal stretching protocol depends on the tissue type, the chronicity of restriction, and patient tolerance. Acute injuries often respond better to gentle, pain-free approaches, while chronic restrictions may require more sustained stretching forces. The duration of stretch hold typically ranges from 15 to 60 seconds, with longer durations showing no additional benefit in most situations. Stretching should be performed when muscles are warm, such as following exercise or after warm-up activities.

Balance and Proprioception Training

Balance training involves exercises designed to improve the body’s ability to maintain stability in various positions and during movement. This form of training addresses the sensory, central processing, and motor components of postural control. Balance exercises may involve static positions such as single-leg stance, dynamic activities such as walking on uneven surfaces, or challenging tasks such as reaching beyond base of support.

Proprioception refers to the body’s ability to sense position and movement through specialized receptors in joints, muscles, and connective tissues. Proprioceptive training aims to improve the speed and accuracy of these sensory feedback systems, enhancing motor responses that maintain joint stability. Following ligament injuries, proprioceptive deficits are common and contribute to reinjury risk, making proprioceptive training an essential component of rehabilitation and injury prevention programs.

Electrotherapy Modalities

Electrical Stimulation

Electrical stimulation encompasses a variety of modalities that use electrical current to produce therapeutic effects. Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation, or NMES, delivers electrical impulses that cause muscle contraction, used to prevent muscle atrophy, improve strength, or facilitate re-education of movement patterns. This modality is particularly valuable when patients cannot voluntarily contract muscles adequately due to weakness, pain inhibition, or neurological involvement.

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation, known as TENS, delivers electrical current at parameters designed to modulate pain perception. The proposed mechanisms include gate control theory, where large-diameter sensory fiber activation inhibits pain transmission in the spinal cord, and endogenous opioid release stimulated by certain stimulation frequencies. TENS units are commonly used for acute and chronic pain conditions, with adjustable settings allowing patients to find optimal parameters for their individual response.

Therapeutic Ultrasound

Therapeutic ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to produce biological effects in tissues. The thermal effects of ultrasound generate heat in deep tissues, increasing tissue temperature, blood flow, and extensibility of collagen tissue. Non-thermal effects, resulting from cavitation and acoustic streaming, may influence cellular activity and tissue healing. Ultrasound is commonly used for soft tissue injuries, tendon pathologies, and conditions where deep heating is desired.

The parameters of ultrasound treatment include frequency, intensity, duty cycle, and duration. Lower frequencies of 1 MHz penetrate more deeply than 3 MHz ultrasound, which acts more superficially. Intensity determines the amount of energy delivered, while duty cycle controls the proportion of time the ultrasound is active versus off for thermal treatments. Proper application requires understanding of tissue acoustics and appropriate dosing for the target condition.

Diathermy

Diathermy uses high-frequency electromagnetic energy to generate heat in deep tissues. Shortwave and microwave diathermy systems produce electromagnetic fields that cause molecular vibration, generating thermal energy in treated tissues. This deep heating effect can penetrate more deeply than ultrasound, making diathermy valuable for heating large muscle groups or tissues at greater depth.

Continuous diathermy produces steady heating, while pulsed diathermy delivers energy in pulses, reducing the thermal build-up while maintaining non-thermal effects. This modality requires careful patient selection and contraindications screening, including avoidance of metal implants, pacemakers, and areas of reduced sensation.

Gait Training

Gait Analysis and Assessment

Gait training addresses the restoration of normal walking ability following injury, surgery, or neurological conditions. Gait analysis involves systematic observation and measurement of walking patterns, identifying deviations from normal that may indicate underlying impairments or compensation strategies. Observational gait analysis examines temporal-spatial parameters such as stride length, cadence, and walking speed, as well as the quality of movement through each phase of the gait cycle.

Instrumented gait analysis may employ force plates, motion capture systems, and electromyography to provide quantitative data about ground reaction forces, joint kinematics, and muscle activity during walking. This detailed analysis guides treatment planning and documents outcomes with precision. The normal gait cycle consists of stance phase, during which the foot contacts the ground, and swing phase, when the foot is off the ground moving forward.

Gait Training Interventions

Gait training interventions may address various aspects of walking ability. Weight-bearing training progresses patients through partial weight-bearing, weight-bearing as tolerated, and full weight-bearing status based on the underlying condition and surgical protocols. Balance training during walking addresses stability through single-limb support phases and the dynamic demands of propulsion and swing.

Treadmill training with or without body weight support allows repetitive practice of gait patterns with controlled speed and the ability to reduce loading through harness systems. This approach is particularly valuable for neurological rehabilitation following stroke, spinal cord injury, or traumatic brain injury. Overground gait training translates skills developed on equipment to functional walking in real environments.

Assistive Devices and Gait Aids

Assistive devices including canes, crutches, and walkers provide support, stability, and load reduction during gait training and functional mobility. The selection of appropriate assistive devices depends on the patient’s strength, balance, cognitive function, and the demands of their living environment. Training in proper device use is essential to maximize benefit and prevent falls or improper loading that could cause injury.

Canes provide minimal support and are appropriate for patients with mild balance deficits or unilateral weakness. Crutches, including axillary and forearm crutches, provide greater support and allow for non-weight-bearing or partial weight-bearing status. Walkers offer maximum stability and are appropriate for patients with significant balance deficits or weakness affecting multiple limbs.

Proprioception and Balance Training

Understanding Proprioception

Proprioception represents the body’s intrinsic sensory system for detecting joint position, movement, and force. Specialized mechanoreceptors in joint capsules, ligaments, muscles, and tendons provide continuous feedback to the central nervous system about limb position and movement. This sensory information integrates with visual and vestibular inputs to create the comprehensive spatial awareness necessary for coordinated movement and balance.

Proprioceptive deficits commonly follow joint injuries, particularly those involving ligament damage where the injured structures contain important sensory receptors. Following anterior cruciate ligament injury, for example, patients demonstrate impaired proprioceptive acuity that persists even after mechanical stability is restored. These deficits contribute to decreased neuromuscular control, altered movement patterns, and increased reinjury risk, making proprioception training an essential rehabilitation component.

Balance Assessment

Balance assessment employs various tools and protocols to evaluate postural stability across different conditions. Static balance may be assessed through single-leg stance time, tandem stance, or eyes-closed conditions that challenge sensory integration. Dynamic balance tests include functional reach, star excursion balance tests, and walking balance assessments that challenge stability during movement.

The Berg Balance Scale provides a standardized assessment of balance ability through 14 tasks of increasing difficulty, generating a total score predictive of fall risk. The Timed Up and Go test measures the time required to stand from a chair, walk three meters, turn around, walk back, and sit down, with times exceeding 14 seconds suggesting increased fall risk. These assessments guide treatment planning and document progress through rehabilitation.

Balance Training Progression

Balance training follows a progressive approach, beginning with stable surfaces and simple tasks and advancing to unstable surfaces and complex challenges. Initial exercises may involve bilateral stance with eyes open on a firm surface, progressing to eyes-closed conditions, narrow stance, and single-leg stance. Surface instability may be introduced through foam pads, balance boards, or BOSU equipment that challenges the balance system.

Perturbation-based training deliberately destabilizes the patient to challenge reactive balance responses. This approach improves the speed and effectiveness of balance reactions, preparing patients for the unexpected disturbances that occur in daily life and recreational activities. Dual-task training adds cognitive or motor challenges to balance tasks, reflecting the divided attention demands of real-world mobility.

Strengthening and Resistance Training

Principles of Resistance Training

Resistance training employs external loads to challenge muscles and produce adaptations in strength, power, or endurance. The principle of progressive overload states that continued adaptation requires gradually increasing demands on the musculoskeletal system. This progression may involve increasing resistance, repetitions, sets, training frequency, or complexity of exercises over time.

Specificity principles indicate that adaptations are specific to the type of training performed. Strength training produces different adaptations than endurance training, and exercises targeting specific muscle groups produce adaptations primarily in those muscles. This principle guides exercise selection to address identified weaknesses and achieve patient goals.

Exercise Prescription Variables

Exercise prescription requires specification of intensity, duration, frequency, and type of exercise. Intensity describes the load or effort required, typically expressed as a percentage of maximum voluntary contraction, a percentage of one-repetition maximum, or through subjective effort scales. Duration refers to the length of each exercise session and the duration of hold time for static exercises.

Frequency describes how often training sessions occur, with recommendations varying from daily for some conditions to two to three times weekly for general fitness maintenance. Exercise type specifies the particular movements, equipment, and muscle actions employed. The combination of these variables creates the training stimulus that produces adaptation.

Strengthening for Specific Populations

Strengthening programs require modification for specific populations based on their unique needs and considerations. Older adults benefit from resistance training that addresses age-related muscle loss, or sarcopenia, and maintains bone density. Exercise selection, intensity, and progression must consider joint health, cardiovascular status, and fall risk.

Athletes require strengthening programs that address sport-specific demands, emphasizing power development, movement quality, and injury prevention. Youth athletes benefit from age-appropriate programs that develop movement patterns and prepare tissues for sport demands while avoiding excessive loading that could compromise growth plates.

Stretching and Flexibility

Types of Stretching Techniques

Static stretching involves assuming a position that lengthens a muscle or muscle group and holding that position for a sustained period. The typical recommendation is to hold static stretches for 15 to 30 seconds, with longer durations showing no additional benefit in most situations. Static stretching is most effective when performed when muscles are warm, such as following exercise or after a warm-up period.

Dynamic stretching involves controlled movements through ranges of motion that progressively increase reach and speed. Unlike static stretching, dynamic stretching does not involve holding positions at end range but rather moves through ranges in a flowing manner. Dynamic stretching is particularly appropriate as a warm-up activity, preparing tissues for activity while also improving mobility.

Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation, or PNF, stretching combines muscle contraction with stretching to achieve greater gains in flexibility. Techniques such as contract-relax and hold-relax involve alternating periods of muscle contraction and relaxation that allow the stretched muscle to release beyond its initial limitation. PNF techniques typically require a partner and produce significant improvements in range of motion.

Factors Affecting Flexibility

Flexibility is influenced by multiple factors including the structure of joints, the length and compliance of muscles, the extensibility of connective tissues, and the neurological control of muscle tone. Some factors such as joint structure are relatively fixed, while others such as muscle length and tissue extensibility respond to stretching interventions. Age-related changes typically reduce flexibility, with regular stretching helping to maintain mobility.

Temperature affects tissue extensibility, with warmer tissues demonstrating greater flexibility than cold tissues. This principle supports stretching following exercise or after warm-up activities. Chronic conditions affecting connective tissue, such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, may present with excessive flexibility that requires different management approaches emphasizing stability and control rather than further stretching.

Mobilization and Manipulation

Maitland Concept

The Maitland Concept, developed by Geoffrey Maitland, emphasizes the importance of accurate clinical examination and the use of mobilization techniques graded based on the patient’s presentation and treatment goals. This approach emphasizes patient-centered care, with treatment selection guided by patient response rather than predetermined protocols. The concept distinguishes between mobilizations for pain and mobilizations for stiffness, with different grades and techniques applied based on the primary symptom presentation.

Maitland advocated for careful reassessment following each treatment, with treatment parameters adjusted based on patient response. This approach recognizes the individual variability in treatment response and emphasizes clinical reasoning over standardized protocols. The concept has influenced manual therapy practice worldwide and remains influential in contemporary physiotherapy.

Mulligan Concept

The Mulligan Concept, also known as Mobilizations with Movement, combines manual therapy techniques with active patient movement. The approach employs sustained accessory glides applied to joints during functional movements, with the goal of removing pain and restoring normal movement patterns. This technique is based on the concept of positional faults, where joint malposition contributes to pain and dysfunction.

Mobilizations with Movement have shown effectiveness for various conditions including shoulder impingement, ankle sprains, and spinal pain. The technique requires precise identification of the restricted or painful movement, followed by application of the appropriate glide during active movement. The pain-free nature of the technique and its integration with functional movement make it appropriate for many clinical situations.

Modalities in Physical Therapy

Heat and Cold Therapy

Heat therapy increases tissue temperature, producing vasodilation, increased blood flow, and increased tissue extensibility. Superficial heat modalities include hot packs, warm towels, and paraffin baths, while deeper heating may be achieved through diathermy or ultrasound. Heat is appropriate for chronic conditions, muscle tension, and tissue extensibility needs, but should be avoided in acute injuries where increased blood flow could exacerbate inflammation.

Cold therapy, or cryotherapy, reduces tissue temperature, producing vasoconstriction, reduced metabolic rate, and decreased inflammation. Cold modalities include ice packs, cold packs, ice massage, and cold water immersion. Cold is appropriate for acute injuries, inflammation control, and pain modulation. The application duration and frequency require consideration to achieve therapeutic effects without tissue damage.

Traction

Traction involves the application of a distracting force to separate joint surfaces and elongate soft tissues. Spinal traction, both cervical and lumbar, is used for disc-related conditions, facet joint dysfunction, and nerve root compression. Mechanical traction systems apply controlled forces through harnesses or collars, while manual traction involves hands-on distraction applied by the therapist.

The effects of traction remain debated, with some research supporting benefits for certain conditions while others show limited efficacy beyond placebo effects. Patient selection appears important, with individuals demonstrating positive response to trial treatment likely to benefit most from ongoing traction therapy. Contraindications include osteoporosis, spinal malignancy, and unstable spinal conditions.

Key Takeaways

Understanding physical therapy terminology empowers patients to actively participate in their rehabilitation journey and communicate effectively with their healthcare team. Range of motion assessment provides objective measurement of joint mobility, while manual therapy techniques address joint and soft tissue restrictions through skilled hand movements. Therapeutic exercise engages patients actively in their recovery, producing physiological adaptations that improve function and reduce disability. Electrotherapy modalities use electrical energy to modulate pain, stimulate muscle contraction, and promote tissue healing.

Gait training restores walking ability through systematic progression from assistive devices to independent ambulation. Proprioception and balance training address the sensory and motor components of postural control, essential for fall prevention and athletic performance. Strengthening and stretching programs require careful prescription and progression to produce adaptation while minimizing injury risk. The modalities available to physiotherapists continue to expand, with evidence-based practice guiding selection and application of interventions for optimal patient outcomes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between active and passive range of motion?

Active range of motion involves movement achieved by the patient’s own muscle contraction, testing voluntary control and strength. Passive range of motion involves movement achieved by external force such as a therapist moving the joint, testing mechanical limits independent of muscle performance.

How does manual therapy differ from massage?

Manual therapy encompasses specific techniques for joints, nerves, and soft tissues with defined treatment parameters and goals. While massage focuses primarily on muscle relaxation, manual therapy addresses mobility restrictions, joint function, and neurological considerations with targeted interventions.

What is therapeutic ultrasound used for?

Therapeutic ultrasound produces thermal and non-thermal effects in tissues, used for soft tissue healing, tendon pathologies, increasing tissue extensibility, and reducing pain and inflammation in deep tissues.

How long does it take to improve range of motion with physical therapy?

Improvement timelines vary based on the cause of restriction, chronicity, and treatment intensity. Acute restrictions may improve within days, while chronic conditions may require weeks to months of consistent treatment.

What is the difference between TENS and NMES electrical stimulation?

TENS is designed for pain modulation through sensory-level stimulation. NMES produces muscle contraction for strengthening, atrophy prevention, or neuromuscular re-education.

Why is balance training important after ankle sprain?

Ankle sprains damage proprioceptive receptors, creating deficits that increase reinjury risk. Balance training restores sensory function, improves neuromuscular control, and reduces subsequent sprain likelihood.

How often should I do strengthening exercises?

Strengthening frequency depends on the program and recovery capacity. Generally, two to three sessions per week with adequate rest between sessions allows for recovery and adaptation.

When should I use heat versus cold therapy?

Cold therapy is appropriate for acute injuries and inflammation control. Heat therapy is better suited for chronic conditions, muscle tension, and pre-activity tissue preparation.

What is the purpose of gait training after surgery?

Gait training restores normal walking patterns, prevents complications of immobility, progressively increases weight-bearing as appropriate, and transitions patients to independent community mobility.

How do I know which physical therapy modality is right for me?

Selection of modalities depends on your specific condition, symptoms, treatment goals, and response to various interventions. Your physiotherapist will assess and recommend appropriate modalities based on your individual presentation.

Related Services

At Healer’s Clinic Dubai, our comprehensive physiotherapy services incorporate these fundamental concepts and techniques:

• General Physiotherapy - Comprehensive rehabilitation services for diverse conditions
• Orthopedic Rehabilitation - Specialized care for bone and joint conditions
• Sports Rehabilitation - Recovery and performance optimization for athletes
• Neurological Rehabilitation - Specialized care for neurological conditions
• Post-Surgical Rehabilitation - Recovery programs following surgical procedures
• Pain Management - Comprehensive approaches to acute and chronic pain

Your Next Steps

Understanding physical therapy terminology is the first step toward informed participation in your rehabilitation journey. The physiotherapists at Healer’s Clinic Dubai combine extensive training with clinical expertise to evaluate your condition, explain treatment options in accessible terms, and develop personalized rehabilitation programs addressing your unique needs and goals.

Schedule Your Physiotherapy Consultation today to begin your journey toward improved mobility, reduced pain, and enhanced function. Our holistic approach combines evidence-based techniques with compassionate care to help you achieve optimal outcomes and return to the activities you love.

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Sources:

• American Physical Therapy Association: aptanet.org
• Physiopedia: physio-pedia.com
• International Federation of Orthopaedic Manipulative Physical Therapists: ifompt.org