Shoulder and Neck Pain Glossary of Terms

1. Slideshow: Low Back Pain
2. Take the Back Pain Quiz!
3. Good and Bad Exercises for Low Back Pain

Abdominal: Relating to the abdomen, the belly, that part of the body that contains all of ...

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

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

Aorta: The largest artery in the body, the aorta arises from the left ventricle of the he...

Artery: A vessel that carries blood high in oxygen content away from the heart to the far...

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

Blood pressure: The blood pressure is the pressure of the blood within the arteries. It is...

Bursa: A closed, fluid-filled sac that functions as a gliding surface to reduce friction b...

Bursae: Plural of bursa.

Bursitis: Bursitis is inflammation of a bursa. A bursa is a tiny fluid-filled sac that fu...

Cast: 1) A protective shell of fiberglass, plastic, or plaster, and bandage that is molde...

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...

Chest pain: Pain in the chest that can be a result of many things, including angina, heart...

Cholesterol: The most common type of steroid in the body. Cholesterol has a reputation for...

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...

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

Diabetes: Refers to diabetes mellitus or, less often, to diabetes insipidus. Diabetes mell...

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

Disc: Shortened terminology for an intervertebral disc, a disk-shaped piece of specialized...

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

ECG: Electrocardiogram.

Electrocardiogram: A recording of the electrical activity of the heart. Abbreviated ECG an...

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

Fever: Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degr...

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

Frozen shoulder: Permanent severe limitation of the range of motion of the shoulder due to...

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

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

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

Heart attack: The death of heart muscle due to the loss of blood supply. The loss of bloo...

Herniation: Abnormal protrusion of tissue through an opening.

High blood pressure: A repeatedly elevated blood pressure exceeding 140 over 90 mmHg. Chro...

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

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

Infection: The invasion and multiplication of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, an...

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...

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

Ligament: A tough band of connective tissue that connects various structures, such as two ...

Lungs: The lungs are a pair of breathing organs located with the chest which remove carbon...

MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging.

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

Muscular: Having to do with the muscles. Also, endowed with above average muscle developme...

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

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

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

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

Onset: In medicine, the first appearance of the signs or symptoms of an illness as, for ex...

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

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

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

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...

Radiculopathy: Any disease of the spinal nerve roots and spinal nerves. Radiculopathy is c...

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

Recurrent: Appearing or occurring again. For example, a recurrent fever is a fever that ha...

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

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

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

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

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...

Shortness of breath: Difficulty in breathing. Medically referred to as dyspnea. Shortness ...

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 dislocation: See: Dislocated shoulder

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

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

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

Spondylosis: Degeneration of the disc spaces between the vertebrae. Spondylosis is common ...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TMJ: Temporomandibular joint.

TMJ syndrome: Temporomandibular joint 'syndrome.

Tobacco: A South American herb (Nicotiana tabacum) whose leaves contain 2 to 8 percent nic...

Trauma: A physical or emotional injury.

Tylenol: See: Acetaminophen.

Whiplash injury: A hyperextension and flexion injury to the neck, often a result of being ...