Glossary
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abbreviations:
types of osteopathic manipulative treatment.
ART:
articulatory treatment
BLT:
balanced ligamentous tension treatment
CR:
osteopathy in the cranial field
CS:
counterstrain treatment
D:
direct treatment
DIR:
direct treatment
FPR:
facilitated positional release treatment
HVLA:
high velocity/low amplitude treatment
I:
indirect treatment
IND:
indirect treatment
INR:
integrated neuromusculoskeletal release treatment
LAS:
ligamentous articular strain treatment
ME:
muscle energy treatment
MFR:
myofascial release treatment
NMM-OMM:
neuromusculoskeletal medicine
OCF:
osteopathy in the cranial field/cranial treatment
OMTh:
osteopathic manipulative therapy (non-US terminology)
OMT:
osteopathic manipulative treatment
PINS:
progressive inhibition of neuromuscular structures
ST:
soft tissue treatment
VIS:
visceral manipulative treatment
accessory joint motions:
See s econdary joint motion.
accessory movements:
Movements used to potentiate, accentuate, or compensate for an impairment in a physiologic motion (e.g.: the movements needed to move a paralyzed limb).
accommodation:
A self-reversing and nonpersistent adaptation.
active motion:
See motion, active.
acute somatic dysfunction:
See somatic dysfunction, acute.
allopathy:
A therapeutic system in which a disease is treated by producing a second condition that is incompatible with or antagonistic to the first (Stedman's).
allopath:
A term used to refer those holding a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree,
a non-steopathic medical degree.
anatomical barrier:
See barrier, (motion barrier).
angle: Ferguson a.:
See angle, lumbosacral.
lumbolumbar lordotic a.:
an objective quantification of lumbar lordosis typically etermined by measuring the angle between the superior surface of the second lumbar vertebra and the inferior surface of the fifth lumbar vertebra; best measured from a standing lateral x-ray film.
lumbosacral a.:
represents the angle of the lumbosacral junction as measured by the inclination of the superior surface of the first sacral vertebra to the horizontal (this is actually a sacral angle); usually measured from standing lateral x-ray films; also known as Ferguson's angle.
lumbosacral lordotic a.:
an objective quantification of lumbar lordosis typically determined by measuring the angle between the superior surface of the second lumbar vertebra and the superior surface of the first sacral segment; best measured from a standing lateral x-ray film.
anterior component:
A positional descriptor used to identify the side of reference when rotation of a vertebra has occurred; in a condition of right rotation, the left side is the anterior component; usually refers to the less prominent transverse process; See also posterior component.
anterior compression test:
See ASIS (anterior superior iliac spine) compression test.
anterior iliac rotation:
See ilium, somatic dysfunction of, anterior (forward) innominate (iliac) rotation.
anterior nutation:
See nutation.
anterior rib:
See rib somatic dysfunction, inhalation rib dysfunction.
ART:
See TART.
articular pillar:
1. Refers to the columnar arrangement of the articular portions of the cervical vertebrae.
2. Those parts of the lateral arches of the cervical vertebrae that ontain a superior and inferior articular facet.
articulation:
1. The place of union or junction between two or more bones of the skeleton.
2. The active or passive process of moving a joint through its permitted anatomic range of motion.
See also osteopathic manipulative treatment, articulatory treatment (ART) system.
articulatory pop:
The sound made when cavitation occurs in a joint. See also cavitation.
articulatory technique:
See also technique.
See osteopathic manipulative treatment, rticulatory treatment (ART) system.
asymmetry:
Absence of symmetry of position or motion; dissimilarity in corresponding parts or organs on opposite sides of the body that are normally alike; of particular use when describing position or motion alteration resulting from somatic dysfunction.
axis:
1. An imaginary line about which motion occurs.
2. The second cervical vertebra.
3. One component of an axis system.
axis of rib motion:
See rib motion, axis.
ASIS (anterior superior iliac spine) compression test:
1. A test for lateralization of somatic dysfunction of the sacrum, innominate or pubic symphysis.
2. Application of a force through the ASIS into one of the pelvic axes to assess the mechanics of the pelvis. See also sacral motion, axis of.
axis of sacral motion:
See sacral motion, axis of.
axoplasmic flow:
See axoplasmic transport.
axoplasmic transport:
The antegrade movement of substances from the nerve cell along the axon toward the terminals, and the retrograde movement from the terminals toward the nerve cell.
B
backward bending:
Opposite of forward bending.
See extension.
backward bending test:
1. This test discriminates between forward and backward sacral torsion/rotation.
2. This test discriminates between unilateral sacral flexion and unilateral sacral extension.
backward torsion:
See sacrum, somatic dysfunctions of, backward torsions.
balanced ligamentous tension technique:
See osteopathic manipulative treatment, balanced ligamentous tension.
See also osteopathic manipulative treatment, ligamentous articular strain.
barrier (motion barrier):
The limit to motion; in defining barriers, the palpatory end-feel characteristics are useful.
anatomic b.:
the limit of motion imposed by anatomic structure; the limit of passive motion.
elastic b.:
the range between the physiologic and anatomic barrier of motion in which passive ligamentous stretching occurs before tissue disruption.
pathologic b.:
a restriction of joint motion associated with pathologic change of tissues (example: osteophytes).
See also barrier, restrictive b.
physiologic b.:
the limit of active motion.
restrictive b.:
a functional limit that abnormally diminishes the normal physiologic range.
batwing deformity:
See transitional vertebrae, sacralization.
bind: Palpable resistance to motion of an articulation or tissue.
Synonym: resistance. Antonyms: ease, compliance, resilience.
biomechanics:
Mechanical principles applied to the study of biological functions; the application of mechanical laws to living structures; the study and knowledge of biological function from an application of mechanical principles.
body unity:
One of the basic tenets of the osteopathic philosophy; the human being is a dynamic unit of function; See also osteopathic philosophy.
bogginess:
A tissue texture abnormality characterized principally by a palpable sense of sponginess in the tissue, interpreted as resulting from congestion due to increased fluid content.
bucket handle rib motion:
See rib motion, bucket handle.
C
caliper rib motion:
See rib motion, caliper rib motion.
caudad:
Toward the tail or inferiorly.
caught in inhalation:
See inhalation rib dysfunction.
caught in exhalation:
See exhalation rib dysfunction.
cavitation:
The formation of small vapor and gas bubbles within fluid caused by local reduction in pressure. This phenomenon is believed to produce an audible "pop" in certain forms of OMT.
cephalad:
Toward the head.
cephalad pubic dysfunction:
See pubic bone, somatic dysfunctions of, superior pubic shear.
cerebrospinal fluid, fluctuation of:
A description of the hypothesized action of cerebrospinal fluid with regard to the craniosacral mechanism.
cervicolumbar reflex:
See reflex, cervicolumbar r.
Chapman reflex:
1. A system of reflex points that present as predictable anterior and posterior fascial tissue texture abnormalities (plaque-like changes or stringiness of the involved tissues) assumed to be reflections of visceral dysfunction or pathology.
2 . Originally used by Frank Chapman, DO, and described by Charles Owens, DO.
chronic somatic dysfunction:
See somatic dysfunction, chronic.
circumduction:
1. The circular movement of a limb.
2. The rotary movement by which a structure is made to describe a cone, the apex of the cone being a fixed point (e.g., the circular movement of the shoulder).
combined technique:
See osteopathic manipulative treatment, combined method.
common compensatory pattern:
See fascial patterns, common compensatory pattern.
compensatory fascial patterns:
See fascial patterns, common compensatory pattern.
complete motor asymmetry:
Asymmetry of palpatory responses to all regional motion inputs including rotation, translation and active respiration.
compliance:
1. The ease with which a tissue may be deformed.
2. Direction of ease in motion testing.
compression:
1. Somatic dysfunction in which two structures are forced together.
2. A force which approximates two structures.
conditioned reflex:
See reflex, conditioned r.
contraction:
Shortening and/or development of tension in muscle.
concentric c.:
contraction of muscle resulting in approximation of attachments.
eccentric c.:
lengthening of muscle during contraction due to an external force.
isokinetic c.:
1. A concentric contraction against resistance in which the angular change of joint motion is at the same rate.
2. The counterforce is less than the patient force.
isolytic c.:
1. A form of eccentric contraction designed to break adhesions using an operator-induced force to lengthen the muscle.
2. The counterforce is greater than the patient force.
isometric c.:
1. Change in the tension of a muscle without approximation of muscle origin and insertion.
2. Operator force equal to patient force.
isotonic c.:
1. A form of concentric contraction in which a constant force is applied.
2. Operator force less than patient force.
contracted muscle:
The physiologic romuscular excitation.
See also contractured muscle.
contracture:
A condition of fixed high resistance to passive stretch of a muscle, resulting from fibrosis of the tissues supporting the muscles or the joints, or from disorders of the muscle fibers.
Dupuytren c.:
shortening, thickening and fibrosis of the palmar fascia, producing a flexion deformity of a finger (Dorland's).
contractured muscle:
histological change substituting non-contractile tissue for muscle tissue, which prevents the muscle from reaching normal relaxed length. See also contracted muscle.
core link:
The connection of the spinal dura mater from the occiput at the foramen magnum to the sacrum. It coordinates the synchronous motion of these two structures.
coronal plane:
See plane, frontal.
costal dysfunction:
See rib, dysfunction.
counternutation:
Posterior movement of the sacral base around a transverse axis in relation to the ilia.
See also nutation.
counterstrain technique:
See osteopathic manipulative treatment, counterstrain.
cranial manipulation:
See osteopathic manipulative treatment, cranial manipulation.
cranial rhythmic impulse (CRI):
1. A palpable, rhythmic fluctuation believed to be synchronous with the primary respiratory mechanism.
2. Term coined by John Woods, DO, and Rachel Woods, DO.
cranial technique:
See osteopathic manipulative treatment, osteopathy in the cranial field.
See also primary respiratory mechanism.
craniosacral manipulation:
See osteopathic manipulative treatment, osteopathy in the cranial field.
craniosacral mechanism:
1. A term used to refer to the anatomical connection between the occiput and the sacrum by the spinal dura mater.
2. A term coined by William G. Sutherland, DO. See also extension, craniosacral extension and flexion, craniosacral flexion.
C-SPOMM:
Certification Special Proficiency in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine. Granted by the American Osteopathic Association through the American Osteopathic Board of Special Proficiency in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine from 1989 through 1999.
See also NMM-OMM.
creep:
The capacity of fascia and other tissue to lengthen when subjected to a constant tension load resulting in less resistance to a second load application.
CV-4:
See osteopathic manipulative.


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