Rotator Cuff Injury Glossary of Terms

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Abduction: The movement of a limb away from the midline of the body. The opposite of abduc...

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

Acromion: The projection of the scapula (the shoulder blade) that forms the point of the s...

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

Acute pain: Pain that comes on quickly, can be severe, but lasts a relatively shorter peri...

Aging: The process of becoming older, a process that is genetically determined and environ...

Anatomy: The study of human or animal form, by observation or examination of the living be...

Anterior: The front, as opposed to the posterior. The anterior surface of the heart is tow...

Arthritis: Inflammation of a joint. When joints are inflamed they can develop stiffness, w...

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

Calcification: The process of suffusing tissues with calcium salts.

Calcium: A mineral found mainly in the hard part of bones, where it is stored. Calcium is ...

Capsule: Capsule has many meanings in medicine including the following:

1. In medici...

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

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

Chest: The area of the body located between the neck and the abdomen. The chest contains t...

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

Clavicle: The bone extending from the breastbone (sternum) at the base of the front of the...

Collarbone: A horizontal bone above the first rib that makes up the front part of the shou...

Computerized tomography: Pictures of structures within the body created by a computer that...

Cone: A type of specialized light-sensitive cell (photoreceptor) in the retina of the eye ...

Deltoid: The muscle, roughly triangular in shape, that stretches from the collarbone (clav...

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

Elbow: The juncture of the long bones in the middle portion of the upper extremity. The bo...

Extremity: An uttermost part of the body, such as a hand or a foot.

Family physician: A physician who is educated and trained in family practice.

Gallbladder: A pear-shaped organ located below the liver that stores the bile secreted by ...

Heart: The muscle that pumps blood received from veins into arteries throughout the body. ...

Humerus: The long bone in the upper arm that extends from the shoulder to the elbow.

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

Inflammation: A localized reaction that produces redness, warmth, swelling, and pain as a ...

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

Internal medicine: The medical specialty dedicated to the diagnosis and medical treatment ...

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

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

Labrum: In medicine, a ring of fibrocartilage (fibrous cartilage) around the edge of the a...

Magnetic resonance imaging: A procedure that uses magnetism, radio waves, and a computer t...

MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging.

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

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

Normal range: Characteristic of 95 percent of values from a normal population. The remaini...

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

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

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

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

Physical therapy: A branch of rehabilitative health that uses specially designed exercises...

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

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

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

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

Referred pain: Pain felt at a site other than where the cause is situated. An example is t...

Resistance: Opposition to something, or the ability to withstand something. For example, s...

Rotator cuff: A group of four tendons that stabilize the shoulder joint. Each of these ten...

Scapula: The shoulder blade (or "wingbone"), the familiar flat triangular bone at the back...

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

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

Shoulder blade: The familiar flat triangular bone at the back of the shoulder. Known famil...

Shoulder joint: The flexible ball-and-socket joint formed by the junction of the humerus...

Shoulder pain: Pain in the shoulder due to an injury or disease. The design of the shoulde...

Sleep: The body's rest cycle.

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

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

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

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

Steroid: One of a large group of chemical substances classified by a specific carbon struc...

Stomach: The digestive organ that is located in the upper abdomen, under the ribs. The upp...

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

Stress: In a medical or biological context stress is a physical, mental, or emotional fact...

Subscapularis muscle: A muscle that moves the arm by turning it inward (internal rotatio...

Supraspinatus muscle: The muscle that elevates the arm and moves it away from the body. Th...

Surgeon: A physician who treats disease, injury, or deformity via operative or manual meth...

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

Tear: A drop of the salty secretion of the lacrimal glands which serves to moisten the con...

Temple: The area just behind and to the side of the forehead and the eye, above the side o...

Tendinitis: Inflammation of a tendon (the tissue by which muscle attaches to bone). Tendin...

Tendon: The soft tissue by which muscle attaches to bone. Tendons are somewhat flexible, b...

Therapy: The treatment of disease. Therapy is synonymous with treatment.

Tomography: The process for generating a tomogram, a two-dimensional image of a slice or s...

Trauma: A physical or emotional injury.

Tylenol: See: Acetaminophen.

Ultrasound: High-frequency sound waves. Ultra-sound waves can be bounced off tissues by us...

Warfarin: An anticoagulant drug (brand names: Coumarin, Panwarfin, Sofarin) taken to prev...

Wasting: 1. Gradual loss (for example, of weight), deterioration, emaciation. As in...

X-ray: High-energy radiation with waves shorter than those of visible light. X-ray is used...