Diagnostics
The removal of a small piece of living tissue for microscopic examination
biopsy
Most common first-aid treatment for muscular injuries; often referred to as “RICE.”
Rest Ice Compression Elevation
A drug that reduces inflammation.
anti-inflammatory
milligram(s)
mg
Inflammation of a tendon.
tendinitis or tendonitis
A noninvasive scanning test that involves use of an electromagnetic field and radio waves to visualize soft-tissue structures.
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Surgical repair of a muscle through plastic surgery.
myoplasty
A drug that, in moderate doses, slows down the central nervous system, relieves pain, and induces sleep. Taken in excess, narcotics produce unconsciousness, stupor, coma, and possibly death.
narcotic
weight
wt
Weakness or mild muscular paralysis.
myoparesis
Evaluation of involuntary muscular responses with a reflex hammer. Patients under heavy sedation or in a deep coma do not show these reflexes.
deep tendon reflexes (DTR)
Treatment to rehabilitate a patient who has experienced an illness or injury. Common methods include exercise; hydrotherapy (water therapy), ultrasound; and diathermy, or deep heating of body tissues using a high-frequency electrical current.
physical therapy
A drug prescribed to suppress smooth-muscle contractions of the bladder, stomach, or intestine
antispasmodic or anticholinergic
penicillin
PCN
Diagnostic imaging method involving the use of high-frequency sound waves to generate images of structures in the body, such as muscles, ligaments, and displaced or dislocated structures
sonography
A graphic recording of the contraction of a muscle as a result of electrical stimulation
electromyogram (EMG)
Incision to the tendon, usually to repair a deformity caused by a shortened muscle.
tenotomy
A drug that relieves pain; includes nonprescription pain relievers, such as aspirin, and prescription pain relievers, such as hydrocodone.
analgesic
nuclear medicine imaging
NMI
Diagnostic imaging technique that uses electromagnetic waves to create images of the inside of the body. X-rays check for structural abnormality or disease.
radiography
A noninvasive scanning test that involves use of an electromagnetic field and radio waves to visualize soft-tissue structures.
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Exercises performed to improve or maintain joint mobility and flexibility. People can perform active exercises on their own. Assisted exercises require minor assistance due to mild weakness, pain, or stiffness. A physical therapist performs passive exercises on a person who requires total assistance to do the exercises.
range-of-motion (ROM) therapy
A drug prescribed to suppress smooth-muscle contractions of the bladder, stomach, or intestine.
antispasmodic or anticholinergic
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug
NSAID
The measurement of range of motion in a joint.
goniometry