Glossary

The terms our articles use, in plain language. These are general definitions, not a diagnosis; each links to the full explanation. Looking for a specific question? Try the question index.

Adhesive capsulitis (also: Frozen shoulder)

The capsule around the shoulder joint thickens and tightens, so the shoulder loses movement in every direction, not only when it hurts. It usually moves through painful, stiff and thawing phases over many months. Read more

Adjustment (also: Spinal manipulation)

A quick, controlled movement applied by hand to a joint that isn't moving well. The pop some people hear is gas releasing in the joint fluid, not a bone going back into place. Read more

Bursitis

Irritation of a bursa, a small fluid-filled cushion between a tendon and bone. On the outside of the hip, pain once called bursitis is now often traced to the tendons nearby. Read more

Cervical radiculopathy (also: Pinched nerve in the neck)

A nerve root irritated where it leaves the neck, usually by age-related narrowing or a disc bulge. It sends pain, tingling or weakness down the arm, and most cases settle without surgery. Read more

Cervicogenic headache

A headache that starts in the neck. The top joints of the neck share nerve pathways with the head, so a problem there can be felt as head pain. Read more

Cervicogenic dizziness

Unsteadiness that comes from the neck rather than the inner ear, usually alongside neck pain or stiffness. Other causes of dizziness need ruling out first. Read more

Diastasis recti

Widening of the gap between the two sides of the front abdominal muscles, common during and after pregnancy. How well the midline handles load matters more than the width alone. Read more

Facet joint

The small paired joints at the back of each spinal level that guide how the spine bends and twists. Irritated facet joints often hurt more leaning back or twisting. Read more

Herniated disc (also: Bulging disc)

Part of the soft center of a spinal disc pushes past its outer wall. Many show up on scans in people with no pain, and many settle without surgery. Read more

Hip impingement (also: FAI)

The ball and socket of the hip meet too early in deep bending or rotation, often felt as a pinch in the front of the hip. Read more

Hypermobility

Joints that move further than usual. Plenty of flexible people have no trouble; for some, it comes with recurring aches or joints that feel unstable. Read more

IT band syndrome

Pain on the outside of the knee where the iliotibial band crosses it, common in runners and cyclists when training load climbs faster than the tissue adapts. Read more

Load management

Adjusting how much and how hard you train so tissues have time to adapt. Often the difference between training through something and being stopped by it. Read more

Meniscus

The two C-shaped cartilage pads that cushion the knee joint. Irritation or a tear can cause catching, swelling or pain with twisting and deep squatting. Read more

Paresthesia

Numbness, tingling or a pins-and-needles feeling. Where it shows up helps point to which nerve is irritated and where. Read more

Patellar tendinopathy (also: Jumper's knee)

Overload of the tendon just below the kneecap, common in sports with a lot of jumping. It usually hurts at the start of activity and with landing. Read more

Patellofemoral pain

Pain around or behind the kneecap, often worse on stairs, squatting or after sitting a long time. Read more

Piriformis syndrome

Buttock pain, sometimes running down the leg, linked to the piriformis muscle irritating the sciatic nerve nearby. Read more

Plantar fasciitis

Pain under the heel from overload of the thick band of tissue along the sole of the foot. Typically worst with the first steps in the morning. Read more

Radiculopathy

Symptoms from an irritated nerve root where it leaves the spine: pain, tingling, numbness or weakness along that nerve's path into the arm or leg. Sciatica is the best-known example. Read more

Rotator cuff

Four small muscles and their tendons that keep the ball of the shoulder centered in the socket as the arm moves. Read more

Sacroiliac (SI) joint

The joint where the base of the spine meets the pelvis, on each side. Problems here are often felt low in the back, just off center. Read more

Sciatica

Pain that runs from the low back or buttock down the leg along the sciatic nerve, often with tingling or numbness. It describes where the pain goes, not what causes it. Read more

Scoliosis and kyphosis

Scoliosis is a sideways curve of the spine; kyphosis is a forward rounding of the upper back. Both range from mild and painless to more significant. Read more

Shockwave therapy

Pressure waves delivered through the skin to an overloaded tendon or the sole of the foot, used for stubborn tendon and heel pain. Read more

Shoulder impingement

Pain at the top or side of the shoulder when the arm is raised, as the tendons there are squeezed or overloaded. Read more

Spinal decompression

Gentle, motorized traction that lengthens the spine in a controlled way, used for some disc-related back and leg pain. Read more

Stinger (also: Burner)

A brief burning or electric pain down one arm after a hit to the head or shoulder, from a stretched or pinched nerve in the neck. Repeated ones need checking. Read more

Tendinopathy

A tendon that has been loaded more than it can currently handle, so it becomes painful and less tolerant of activity. It usually responds to gradually rebuilding load, not just rest. Read more

Tennis elbow and golfer's elbow

Tennis elbow is tendon pain on the outside of the elbow; golfer's elbow is on the inside. Both come from repeated gripping and wrist work, not only from the sport. Read more

TMJ (also: Temporomandibular joint)

The joint in front of each ear where the jaw hinges. Jaw pain, clicking and clenching often travel with neck tension. Read more

Trigger point (also: Muscle knot)

A tight, tender band in a muscle that can send an ache somewhere else when pressed, often at the top of the shoulder. It tends to come back until whatever keeps overloading the muscle changes. Read more

Webster technique

A chiropractic approach used in pregnancy that focuses on the pelvis and the sacrum, the bone at the base of the spine. Read more