A-Z Physio Phrasebook

The Physio Phrasebook: A–Z Physio Terms and What They Mean

Welcome to the first edition of our Neuro Physio Blog, where we break down the jargon and help you better understand the world of neurological physiotherapy. Whether you’re recovering from a Stroke, managing Multiple Sclerosis, or supporting a loved one with Parkinson’s, understanding the language of physiotherapy can make a real difference.

In this post, we’ve created an A–Z glossary of common physiotherapy terms, explained in plain English. Bookmark this page or share it with a friend—you never know when you’ll need to translate “proprioception” or “neuroplasticity”!

A – Ataxia

A neurological sign characterised by a lack of voluntary coordination of muscle movements. Often seen in conditions like cerebellar Stroke or Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

B – Balance Training

A key component of neuro physio, this focuses on improving stability and reducing the risk of falls—especially important for older adults and people living with Parkinson’s. At morrello, we have several tests that we use for testing balance.

We can use a Berg Balance test which is the main test used in research into Stroke or older people mobility.

We use the MiniBEST for people living with Parkinson’s as it has an element of dual task testing which is affecting balance in Parkinson’s

Sometimes, we may use the Tinetti test for instance with people presenting with ABI or TBI. The Tinetti-test is sometimes called the Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA) and it assesses a person’s perception of balance and stability during activities of daily living

We may also use more sophisticated balance testing using sensors and forceplates giving a more detailed indication of performance and feedback on the Centre of pressure (COP) or Base of Support (BOS) during standing and walking

C – Core Stability

The strength and control of muscles in your abdomen and lower back. Essential for posture, walking, and safe movement. Whilst almost everybody can benefit from training their core stability and work on core stability is a main component in Pilates training. In neuro physiotherapy, focus on core stability is aimed at enabling movement of the limbs and provide a stable platform for efficient movement to occur.

D – Drop Foot

A condition where lifting the foot is difficult. It can lead to scuffing of the foot and may lead to falls. Drop foot is common after a Stroke or in people with neuropathy. It can also be treated for people with MS, Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) or Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS). Treated using strengthening exercises or devices like ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) or an FES device such as Bioness L300, L100 Go or ALFESS. These use electrical pulses to stimulate muscles supporting the weak movement of the Tibealis Anterior muscle, responsible for lifting the foot during walking.

E – Electrotherapy

The use of electrical currents to stimulate nerves and muscles. Can help with pain relief, muscle re-education, and improving circulation. This is often referred to as Neuro Muscular Electrical Stimulation NMES or Functional Electrical Stimulation FES. TENS is the most commonly used modality for pain. Producers of this kind equipment are Ottobock with the Exopulse Mollii suit, Bioness H200, L300Go, L100Go, ALFESS from Alard UK, NeuroSkin AI powered FES walking from Kurage.

F – Functional Exercises

Movements that mimic everyday tasks—like standing from a chair or stepping up a curb. These exercises are helping you regain independence in aspects of daily living. Functional / ADL exercises are also an important part of rehabilitation of the upper limb / arm after Stroke and most other neurological conditions.

G – Gait Training

Sometimes referred to as Gait re-education. This is therapy focused on improving how you walk. Aimed at increasing mobility and reducing the risk of trips or falls. This can be walking over ground or walking with assistance of a device such as a walking aid. It can also be aimed at one aspect of your walking which can then be trained as part function of gait. Other tools used for gait training include a safety harness with a ceiling track for partial body weight support treadmill training, treadmill (C-Mill from MOTEK), robotic gait training from Fourier Rehab such as the Exomotus M4 and / or NeuroSkin AI powered FES walking system.

H – Hemiplegia

This describes a Paralysis on one side of the body, often following a Stroke. Neurological Physiotherapy not only aims to restore movement and coordination to the hemiplegic side of the body where the movement is often weak or where there is spasticity as a result of the brain injury. The treatments also may include treatment of the non hemiplegic side as there will be compensatory movements that are no longer helpful and have to be unlearned. Sometimes people will have “learned non-use”  of one side after a Stroke, ABI, TBI or other acquired brain injury. This responds particularly well to an intensive rehabilitation programme which has been successfully implemented at morrello following the Queen-square High intensity Upper Limb programme. This High intensity programme has been further developed at morrello for gait training, delivering intensive neuro rehabilitation or specialist physiotherapy for the IPS -ylateral and CON-tralateral side to regain more control

I – Isometric Exercise

Exercises where the muscles contract but don’t move—great for early rehab when joints are too painful or weak for dynamic movement. It is also an early phase of regaining muscle control after neurological injury.

J – Joint Mobilisation

Manual therapy often used by physiotherapists to improve joint movement and reduce stiffness.

K – Kinesiology Taping

Special tape applied to support muscles and joints without restricting movement. Kinesio taping can help with posture and proprioception but is also recommended to improve circulation during sport activities

L – Low Tone (Hypotonia)

Reduced muscle tension, which can affect posture, balance, and movement control. Often seen in children with cerebral palsy or adults after neurological injury. Sometimes it is referred to as flaccidity

M – Muscle Re-education

Retraining the brain and muscles to work together again after injury or neurological damage. This is a mainstay in neuro physiotherapy and very important aspect of what we do at morrello.

There is also a need to train the muscles and get them stronger again as they can loose strength and deteriorate fast during a period in hopsital or after illness.

We are able to setup a personal bespoke NeuroFit programme for you to regain muscle endurance and strength.

N – Neuroplasticity

The brain’s amazing ability to reorganise itself by forming new neural connections—key to recovery after stroke or brain injury. Neuro plasticity can be either Hebbian or Homeostatic. Hebbian and homeostatic plasticity are two fundamental mechanisms of synaptic plasticity in the nervous system, but they differ in their function and how they influence neuronal connections. Hebbian plasticity, often described as “neurons that fire together, wire together,” strengthens connections between neurons that are active simultaneously, driving learning and memory. Homeostatic plasticity, on the other hand, stabilizes network activity by counteracting the effects of Hebbian changes, preventing runaway excitation or silencing of neurons. Homeostatic Plasticity returns a neuron to its original state after perturbation.

O – Orthotics

Supportive devices (like splints or braces) used to support or correct alignment in people with movement difficulties. Ankle Foot Orthosis AFO is probably the best known and most often used. At morrello we work closely with Orthotists who can assess and recommend the best orthotic. We also have several types of orthoses in stock for use for the hand or for dropfoot. When people are improving, we may provide a Boxia Splint or when a normal AFO is poorly tolerated an Extern AFO.

The FES systems from ALFESS or Bioness are able to provide a functional orthotic effect through stimulation of a person’s own muscles. These devices do not use hard plastics but your own muscles to regain control.

P – Postural Control

The ability to maintain your body position in space—vital for sitting, standing, or moving without falling. In neuro physiotherapy, we devide postural control in several different mechanisms of postural control.

Q – Quadriceps

The large muscles on the front of your thigh. Strengthening these can improve walking and standing up from a chair. Sometimes an overactive Quads muscle can lead to hyper extension of the knee, and this makes it difficult to walk normal

R – Range of Motion (ROM)

How far a joint can move in different directions. A key focus in maintaining mobility and function. When there is stiffness and or spasticity, there is often a loss of ROM and this is then treated with exercise, stretching and wearing of splints or orthoses

S – Spasticity

Increased muscle tone or stiffness, commonly experienced after brain injury, stroke, or spinal cord injury. Managed through stretching, positioning, and sometimes medication.

Spasticity is a feature of altered skeletal muscle performance with a combination of paralysis, increased tendon reflex activity, and hypertonia. Spasticity is a symptom of an upper motor neuron lesion as muscle tone and reflexes are normally supressed by higher levels of neural control

T – Task-Specific Training

Practising real-life activities to help the brain relearn functional movements like walking, dressing, or cooking. There is a further differentiation in block practice, where you do the same task or subtasks all the time or random practice where you mix thins up and do a series of different tasks. Block practice gives results fast, but random practice is more lifelike (everyday life) and gives you the ability to combine learned skills and apply them to a different scenario.

U – Upper Motor Neuron Lesion

Damage to motor pathways in the brain or spinal cord, often resulting in weakness, spasticity, and abnormal reflexes. Lower motor neuron lesions are those where there is damage to a nerve that has left the spinal cord. Sometimes these nerves may still travel through the spinal column and if they get damages inside the spine, they can be referred to as Cauda equina syndrome, which is also a lower motor neuron lesion.

V – Vestibular Rehabilitation

A type of therapy that targets balance disorders related to the inner ear. Helps reduce dizziness and improve stability. After assessing what is causing the vertigo, vestibular physios are experienced in the Epley maneuver which is a series of specific head movements used to treat benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), a common cause of vertigo. BPPV occurs when tiny calcium crystals (canaliths) in the inner ear become dislodged and move into the semicircular canals, causing brief but intense spinning sensations. The Epley maneuver uses gravity to guide these crystals out of the canals and back to where they belong, relieving the vertigo.

W – Weight-Bearing

Placing weight through a limb, important for bone health, joint function, and walking practice.

X – X-ray

Although not always part of neuro physio, X-rays can be used to rule out fractures or other issues before starting therapy.

Y – Yawning Reflex

This primitive reflex may reappear after neurological injury. Part of a set of reflexes therapists monitor in neuro assessments.

Z – Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

A concept from education and rehab—it refers to the range of tasks a person can do with help. Physios work in this zone to maximise progress.

Final Thoughts

Physiotherapy—especially neurological physiotherapy—can involve a lot of new language. But understanding these terms can help you feel more confident and involved in your treatment.

If you’re looking for expert neuro physiotherapy in South Wales, our team at Morrello is here to support you. Whether you’re managing a long-term condition or recovering from a recent injury, we offer personalised, evidence-based therapy to help you move better, feel better, and live more independently.

Interested in learning more?
📞 Contact us to book a consultation – https://www.morrello.co.uk/contact/
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