Here is a glossary of terms I use on this site. Hopefully I can explain them in a way most people can understand.
Abductors : abductors are muscles that move a limb away from the centre line of the body.
Adductors : adductors are muscles that move a limb back toward the centre line of the body.
Body Mass Index (BMI) : BMI is a ratio derived from the weight (in kilogram) of a person divided by the square height of the person (in meters) and is used as an indicator of whether or not a person is over or under weight.
For example, a person who is1.7 m tall and weights 65 kg has a BMI of 65 / (1.7 x 1.7)= 22.5
A BMI of between 20 and 25 is considered normal
A BMI of between 25 and 30 is considered overweight
A BMI greater than 30 indicates clinical obesity
A BMI under 20 is considered underweight
Blood Cholesterol : blood cholesterol is a measure of the concentration of the cholesterol (a waxy, fat like substance found in all animal tissues) actually in the circulating blood at any given time. Too much cholesterol in the blood may lead to development of heart and blood vessel disease. The normal range is 140 – 300 mg / 100 ml (3.6 – 7.8 mmol/l).
Blood Sugar : blood sugar is a measure of the concentration of glucose (a simple sugar) in the blood expressed as millimoles per litre. The normal ranges is 3.5 – 5.5 mmol/l
Blood sugar is an important investigation in a variety of diseases most notably diabetes mellitus. Glucose is needed by all the cells in your body and relies on the blood to transport it to them. However, both too much or too little can threaten you heath if not also your life.
Bursa : a bursa is a small sac that is not part of the joint but is near the joint. It contains a fluid that lubricates the movement of muscles: muscle across muscle and muscle across bones. In some way it is similar to the synovial sac.
Cartilage : cartilage is a tough covering material that cushions and protects the end of each bone. To get some idea of what cartilage is like, feel the middle of your nose or your ears. These are also made of cartilage. Cartilage in meat is ‘gristle.’
Core : a person’s core refers to the collective muscle groups of the abdomen (both anterior and transverse) and the lower back. They play an important role in maintaining good control, stability and balance in the body as a whole. As well as bending and rotating the torso, they also assist in many other movements – both slow and fast.
The abdominal muscles are there to provide anterior support for the back in its function of keeping the body erect. The abdominal area is often described as the second spine and is the powerhouse of your anatomy.
Ergometer : ergometer is a stationary laboratory bicycle used in controlled experiments.
Extension : extension describes the muscular movement by which a limb is straightened. Alternatively, the bending of a joint so that the bones forming it are moved away from each other.
Flexion : flexion is the bending of a joint so that the bones forming it are brought towards each other.
Form : form refers to the manner of technique employed in the execution of an exercise. Good or proper form is more efficient and safer than a poor or improper one.
Golfer’s Elbow : refers to painful inflammation of the common flexor tendon in the elbow, caused by overuse of the forearm. Treatment is by rest, anti-inflammatory medication or steroid injection. (Compare tennis elbow).
Hamstrings : is a collective term referring to the muscles in the back of the thigh.
Intervertebral (spinal) discs : are the flexible plates of fibrocartilage that connect any two adjacent vertebrae of the backbone. They act as shock absorbers protecting the brain and spinal cord from the impact produced by running and other movements.
Kilopond : a unit of force equal to the gravitational force on a mass of one kilogram. One kilogram of force equals 9.806 65 newtons, or 2.204 622 6 pounds of force in the traditional English system. Using this unit revives the old confusion between mass and weight, one of the worst features of traditional measurement systems, so it is really a very bad idea. However, kilograms of force have been used rather frequently in engineering and physics.
KPM : a kilopond meter, which is the force on a mass of one kilogram at normal acceleration of gravity, is the unit of work on a stationary lap bike known as an ergometer.
Kyphosis : a sharply localized anterior angulation of the spine resulting in the appearance of a lump (the deformity of the traditional hunchback). The deformity is due to the collapse of the anterior part of the vertebrae, usually caused by osteoporosis, a secondary malignant deposit or tuberculosis.
Ligaments : The ligaments are much shorter fibrous cords that attach bone to bone to reinforce the joint capsule.
Lordosis (lumbar and/or cervical) : lordosis refers to the normal inward (concave) curve of the spine which occurs at the neck below the head and the lower back above the buttocks.
Micro-discectomy : refers to a surgical procedure which excises (cuts) a small portion of intervertebral disc that has bulged out and is pressing on a nerve root.
Muscle : the muscles are elastic tissues that, by contracting (shortening) and relaxing (lengthening) allow movement of the body and/or to maintain position of the body against the force of gravity.
Nerve Root : a nerve root is that portion of the nerve nearest to the spinal cord.
Pilates : The Pilates method is a safe, no-impact exercise routine that stretches and lengthens all the major muscle groups in a logical sequence without neglecting the smaller, weaker muscles.
Quadriceps (quads) : is a group of 4 major muscles in the front of the thigh.
Sciatica : refers to the pain felt down the back and outer side of the thigh, leg and foot. It is usually produced by degeneration of an intervertebral disc which protrudes laterally to compress a lower lumbar and/or upper sacral nerve root.
Sciatic Nerve : the major nerve of the leg. It runs down behind the thigh from the lower end of the spine; above the knee joint it divides into two main branches (tibial & common peroneal nerves) which are distributed to the muscles and skin of the lower leg.
Scoliosis : a sideways deviation of the backbone caused by congenital or acquired abnormalities of the vertebrae, muscles and nerves.
Spinal Cord : the portion of the central nervous system enclosed in the vertebral column, consisting of nerve cells and bundles of nerves connecting all parts of the body.
Spinal Disc : is another name for the intervertebral disc.
Stretch Pain Scale : This is a simple scale of 0 to 10. Zero being no stretch and where no pain is felt and no stretch occurs. Ten, on the other hand, is where the pain level is extremely uncomfortable to unbearable. The position cannot be maintained.
Synovial Membrane (synovial sac) : A sac around each joint which protects the joint and also secretes the synovial fluid, which oils the joint. This fluid has a lubricating power many times that of oil.
Tennis-Elbow : refers to painful inflammation of the common extensor tendon in the elbow, caused by overuse of the forearm. Treatment is by rest, massage and local corticosteroid injection. (Compare golfer’s elbow).
Tendons : tendons are fibrous cords that attach the muscles to the bones. They can be felt on the back of the hand and in the back of the knee.
Waist/Hip Ratio (WHR) : is a ratio obtained by dividing waist measurement (inches or centimetres) by your hip measurement. A ratio of >0.9 for males and >0.8 for females indicates a risk to the individual’s health.
