Physiotherapists spend 6 years in post-secondary school (4 years Bachelors, 2 years Masters). We're used to speaking in medical terms and sometimes forget that our clients don't know what the heck we're talking about. I try to explain things to my patients in simple Layman's terms, but there are just some words that you can't translate.
Hopefully, this little series will help you understand some of the terms that you might come across in physio, or while Googling, or even while speaking with your doctor or other healthcare professionals. I don't know how many parts will come out of this series, but for this post, I'll start with a small anatomy lesson.
Bones: This is pretty simple. The human skeleton is made up of bones, hard substances that help to support the frame of the body and protect the internal organs. When a bone is broken, this is known as a "fracture."
Joint: A joint is where two bones come together. The major joints in your body include your shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, and ankle. Your body is also made of smaller joints, such as the ones between your vertebrae, ribs, jaw, foot, fingers, and many more. Arthritis is a common condition that occurs when there is degeneration of a joint.
Joint capsule: Most joints are surrounded by a capsule. The capsule holds the joint together like a sac. It is filled with fluid that lubricates and protects the joint.
Ligaments: Joints are reinforced by ligaments. Ligaments are tough bands of fibrous tissue that connect adjacent bones in order to stabilize the joint. When you sprain a ligament, this connective tissue gets stretched or torn.
Muscles: Joints are controlled by muscles. The two ends of a muscle are connected to bones, and when a muscle contracts, movement occurs at the joint. A strain occurs when the muscle is pulled or torn.
Tendons: Muscles are connected to bones via tendons, which are strong cords of connective tissue. When there is swelling, irritation, inflammation, or degeneration of these tendons, it's called "tendinitis" or "tendinopathy" or "tendinosis," etc., etc.
See? It's not that complicated. Part of a good recovery is understanding your condition and how your body works. Stay tuned for the next one!
