About Us | Privacy | Site Map
May 21, 2013


Neck Strain Glossary of Terms

The following are health and medical definitions of terms that appear in the Neck Strain article.

Abnormal: Outside the expected norm, or uncharacteristic of a particular patient.

Acetaminophen: A nonaspirin pain reliever or analgesic. Acetaminophen may be given alone t...

See the entire definition of Acetaminophen

Acute: Of abrupt onset, in reference to a disease. Acute often also connotes an illness th...

See the entire definition of Acute

Airway: The path that air follows to get into and out of the lungs. The mouth and nose are...

See the entire definition of Airway

American College of Physicians: A medical society for internal medicine. The ACP motto is ...

See the entire definition of American College of Physicians

Analysis: In psychology, a term for conversation-based therapeutic processes used to gain ...

See the entire definition of Analysis

Bladder: A hollow organ in the lower abdomen that stores urine. The kidneys filter waste f...

See the entire definition of Bladder

Bowel: The small and large intestine.

Brain: The portion of the central nervous system that is located within the skull. It func...

See the entire definition of Brain

Breathing: The process of respiration, during which air is inhaled into the lungs through ...

See the entire definition of Breathing

Bursae: Plural of bursa.

Cartilage: Firm, rubbery tissue that cushions bones at joints. A flexible kind of cartilag...

See the entire definition of Cartilage

Cervical: Having to do with any kind of neck, including the neck on which the head is perc...

See the entire definition of Cervical

Cervical vertebrae: The cervical (neck) vertebrae are the upper 7 vertebrae in the spinal ...

See the entire definition of Cervical vertebrae

Chin: Medically, the mentum. The lower portion of the face below the lower lip including t...

See the entire definition of Chin back to top

Chronic: In medicine, lasting a long time. A chronic condition is one that lasts 3 months ...

See the entire definition of Chronic

Chronic pain: Pain (an unpleasant sense of discomfort) that persists or progresses over ...

See the entire definition of Chronic pain

Claustrophobia: An abnormal and persistent fear of closed spaces, of being closed in or be...

See the entire definition of Claustrophobia

Compression: 1. The act of pressing together. As in a compression fracture, nerve c...

See the entire definition of Compression

Contrast: Short for "contrast media." Contrast media are X-ray dyes used to provide contra...

See the entire definition of Contrast

CT scan: Computerized tomography scan. Pictures of structures within the body created by a...

See the entire definition of CT scan

Diagnosis: 1 The nature of a disease; the identification of an illness. 2 A ...

See the entire definition of Diagnosis

Dizziness: Painless head discomfort with many possible causes including disturbances of ...

See the entire definition of Dizziness

Dysfunction: Difficult function or abnormal function.

Emergency department: The department of a hospital responsible for the provision of medica...

See the entire definition of Emergency department

Epidural: Outside the dura, the outermost, toughest, and most fibrous of the three membran...

See the entire definition of Epidural

Essential: In medicine, of unknown cause, as in essential hypertension (high blood pressur...

See the entire definition of Essential

Fracture: A break in bone or cartilage. Although usually a result of trauma, a fracture ca...

See the entire definition of Fracture

Frontal: In anatomy, pertaining to the forehead. As, for example, the frontal bone, fronta...

See the entire definition of Frontal

Gait: A manner of walking. Observation of gait can provide early diagnostic clues for a nu...

See the entire definition of Gait back to top

Gastrointestinal: Adjective referring collectively to the stomach and small and large inte...

See the entire definition of Gastrointestinal

Headache: A pain in the head with the pain being above the eyes or the ears, behind the he...

See the entire definition of Headache

Herniation: Abnormal protrusion of tissue through an opening.

Hoarseness: Hoarseness is a term referring to abnormal voice changes. Hoarseness may be ma...

See the entire definition of Hoarseness

Hydrogen: The most plentiful element in the universe and one present in all organic compou...

See the entire definition of Hydrogen

Ibuprofen: A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that is commonly used to treat pa...

See the entire definition of Ibuprofen

Incidence: The frequency with which something, such as a disease or trait, appears in a pa...

See the entire definition of Incidence

Incontinence: The inability to control excretions, to hold urine in the bladder, or to kee...

See the entire definition of Incontinence

Indicate: In medicine, to make a treatment or procedure advisable because of a particular ...

See the entire definition of Indicate

Injury: Harm or hurt. To harm, hurt, or wound. The word injure may be in physical or emot...

See the entire definition of Injury

Internal fixation: A surgical procedure that stabilizes and joins the ends of fractured (b...

See the entire definition of Internal fixation

Intervention: The act of intervening, interfering or interceding with the intent of modify...

See the entire definition of Intervention

Intervertebral disk: A pad of cartilage between two vertebrae that acts as a shock absorbe...

See the entire definition of Intervertebral disk

Ischemia: Inadequate blood supply to a local area due to blockage of blood vessels leading...

See the entire definition of Ischemia

Isotope: A form of a chemical element that has a different-from-normal atomic mass. Isotop...

See the entire definition of Isotope back to top

Joint: The area where two bones are attached for the purpose of permitting body parts to m...

See the entire definition of Joint

Jugular: The principal vein in the front of either side of the neck. The word comes from t...

See the entire definition of Jugular

Kidney: One of a pair of organs located in the right and left side of the abdomen. The kid...

See the entire definition of Kidney

Labor: Childbirth, the process of delivering a baby and the placenta, membranes, and umbil...

See the entire definition of Labor

Leg: In popular usage, the part of the body from the top of the thigh down to the foot, an...

See the entire definition of Leg

Lumbar: Referring to the five lumbar vertebrae, the disks below them, and the correspondin...

See the entire definition of Lumbar

Lumbar puncture: A procedure in which cerebrospinal fluid is removed from the spinal canal...

See the entire definition of Lumbar puncture

Metabolism: The whole range of biochemical processes that occur within a living organism. ...

See the entire definition of Metabolism

Motor: Something that produces or refers to motion. For example, a motor neuron is a nerve...

See the entire definition of Motor

MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging.

Muscle: Muscle is the tissue of the body which primarily functions as a source of power. T...

See the entire definition of Muscle

Nausea: Stomach queasiness, the urge to vomit. Nausea can be brought on by many causes, in...

See the entire definition of Nausea

Neck: The part of the body joining the head to the shoulders. Also, any narrow or constric...

See the entire definition of Neck

Neck pain: Neck pain is the sensation of discomfort in the neck area. Neck pain can result...

See the entire definition of Neck pain

Nerve: A bundle of fibers that uses electrical and chemical signals to transmit sensory an...

See the entire definition of Nerve back to top

Neuromuscular: Pertaining to both nerves and muscles, as in neuromuscular blockade by an a...

See the entire definition of Neuromuscular

Neurosurgeon: A physician who specializes in surgery on the brain and other parts of the n...

See the entire definition of Neurosurgeon

Nucleus: 1) In cell biology, the structure that houses the chromosomes. 2) In neuroanato...

See the entire definition of Nucleus

Opioid: 1. A synthetic narcotic that resembles the naturally occurring opiates. 2. Any sub...

See the entire definition of Opioid

Orthopedist: An orthopedic surgeon, a physician who corrects congenital or functional abno...

See the entire definition of Orthopedist

Pain: An unpleasant sensation that can range from mild, localized discomfort to agony. Pa...

See the entire definition of Pain

Palpate: To touch or feel. For example, a physician may palpate the liver's edge when exam...

See the entire definition of Palpate

Peptic ulcer: An ulcer in the lining of the stomach, duodenum, or esophagus. Peptic ulcers...

See the entire definition of Peptic ulcer

Pharmacist: A professional who fills prescriptions and, in the case of a compounding pharm...

See the entire definition of Pharmacist

Pharmacy: A location where prescription medications are sold. A pharmacy is constantly sup...

See the entire definition of Pharmacy

Physical therapist: A person who is trained and certified by a state or accrediting body t...

See the entire definition of Physical therapist

Posture: The carriage of the body as a whole, the attitude of the body, or the position of...

See the entire definition of Posture

Prescription: A physician's order for the preparation and administration of a drug or dev...

See the entire definition of Prescription

Prognosis: The forecast of the probable outcome or course of a disease; the patient's chan...

See the entire definition of Prognosis

Prosthetic: Referring to a prosthesis, an artificial substitute or replacement of a part o...

See the entire definition of Prosthetic back to top

Radiate: To spread out from a central area. For example, sciatic pain may radiate outward ...

See the entire definition of Radiate

Radiation: 1. Rays of energy. Gamma rays and X-rays are two of the types of energy ...

See the entire definition of Radiation

Radioactive: Emitting energy waves due to decaying atomic nuclei. Radioactive substances a...

See the entire definition of Radioactive

Radiography: The process of obtaining film records (radiographs) of internal structures of...

See the entire definition of Radiography

Radioisotope: A version of a chemical element that has an unstable nucleus and emits radia...

See the entire definition of Radioisotope

Radiologist: A physician specialized in radiology, the branch of medicine that uses ionizi...

See the entire definition of Radiologist

Radionuclide: An unstable form of a chemical element that radioactively decays, resulting ...

See the entire definition of Radionuclide

Radiopaque: Opaque to one or another form of radiation, such as X-rays. Radiopaque objects...

See the entire definition of Radiopaque

Range of motion: The full movement potential of a joint, usually its range of flexion and ...

See the entire definition of Range of motion

Referral: The recommendation of a medical or paramedical professional. If you get a refer...

See the entire definition of Referral

Rehabilitation: The process of helping a person who has suffered an illness or injury rest...

See the entire definition of Rehabilitation

Resolution: In genetics, the degree of molecular detail on a physical map of DNA. Resoluti...

See the entire definition of Resolution

Ringing in the ears: Medically called tinnitus, can be due to many causes including ear in...

See the entire definition of Ringing in the ears

Scan: As a noun, the data or image obtained from the examination of organs or regions of...

See the entire definition of Scan

Seat belt: A belt used to hold an individual in their seat.

back to top

Sensation: In medicine and physiology, sensation refers to the registration of an incoming...

See the entire definition of Sensation

Shoulder: A structure made up of two main bones: the scapula (shoulder blade) and the hume...

See the entire definition of Shoulder

Sodium: The major positive ion (cation) in the fluid surrounding cells in the body. The ch...

See the entire definition of Sodium

Spasm: A brief, automatic jerking movement. A muscle spasm can be quite painful, with the ...

See the entire definition of Spasm

Spinal cord: The major column of nerve tissue that is connected to the brain and lies with...

See the entire definition of Spinal cord

Spinal cord injury: Trauma or damage to the spinal cord, the major column of nerve tissue ...

See the entire definition of Spinal cord injury

Spinal stenosis: Narrowing of the spinal canal. Spinal stenosis is most commonly caused by...

See the entire definition of Spinal stenosis

Spine: 1) The column of bone known as the vertebral column, which surrounds and protects ...

See the entire definition of Spine

Sprain: An injury to a ligament that results from overuse or trauma. The treatment of a sp...

See the entire definition of Sprain

Stenosis: A narrowing. For example, aortic stenosis is a narrowing of the aortic valve in ...

See the entire definition of Stenosis

Stethoscope: An instrument that is used to transmit low-volume sounds such as a heartbeat ...

See the entire definition of Stethoscope

Strain: 1. An injury to a tendon or muscle resulting from overuse or trauma. 2. A heredita...

See the entire definition of Strain

Surgery: The branch of medicine that employs operations in the treatment of disease or inj...

See the entire definition of Surgery

Symptom: Any subjective evidence of disease. In contrast, a sign is objective. Blood comin...

See the entire definition of Symptom

Symptomatic: 1 With symptoms, as a symptomatic infection. 2 Characteristic o...

See the entire definition of Symptomatic back to top

Syndrome: A combination of symptoms and signs that together represent a disease process.

Tension: 1) The pressure within a vessel, such as blood pressure: the pressure within t...

See the entire definition of Tension

Tinnitus: Ringing in the ears. Tinnitus has many causes, including some medications (inclu...

See the entire definition of Tinnitus

Torticollis: The most common of the focal dystonias, a state of excessive or inadequate mu...

See the entire definition of Torticollis

Toxicology: The study of the nature, effects, and detection of poisons (toxins) and the tr...

See the entire definition of Toxicology

Trachea: A tube-like portion of the respiratory tract that connects the larynx with the br...

See the entire definition of Trachea

Traction: In medicine, a procedure for manually pulling a part of the body to a beneficia...

See the entire definition of Traction

Trauma: A physical or emotional injury.

Tremor: An abnormal, repetitive shaking movement of the body. Tremors have many causes and...

See the entire definition of Tremor

Tylenol: See: Acetaminophen.

Ulcer: A lesion that is eroding away the skin or mucous membrane. Ulcers can have various ...

See the entire definition of Ulcer

Vertebrae: The preferred plural of vertebra. (The alternate plural is vertebras.) See also...

See the entire definition of Vertebrae

Vertigo: Aside from being the name of a classic 1958 Alfred Hitchcock film (with Jimmy St...

See the entire definition of Vertigo

Vessel: A tube in the body that carries fluids. Examples of vessels are blood vessels and ...

See the entire definition of Vessel

Vital: Necessary to maintain life. For example, breathing is a vital function.

back to top

Wry neck: Medically called spasmodic torticollis, or torticollis. The most common of the f...

See the entire definition of Wry neck back to top


Women's Health

Find out what women really need.

Please acknowledge your agreement





Medical Dictionary


Use Pill Finder Find it Now

Pill Identifier on RxList

  • quick, easy,
    pill identification

Find a Local Pharmacy

  • including 24 hour, pharmacies