- Abduction - Movement away from the midline of the body
- Adduction - Movement toward the midline of the body
- Anatomical Position - The body is in an erect or standing posture with the arms at the sides and the palms, head and feet point forward
- Anterior or Ventral - Nearer to or at the front portion of the body
- Anterior Rotation - Rolling the hip forward
- Bi Lateral Flexion or Lateral Flexion or Side Bending - Movement in which the angle between two bones is decreased sideways
- Centrifugal - A movement away from the center of the body. This term is applied to movements made from the heart, or in the direction of the arterial blood current
- Centripetal - A movement toward the center of the body. In relation to massage, the term is applied to movements made in the direction of the blood current in the veins
- Circular motion - When an object moves along a circumference of a circle
- Circumduction - Movement of a joint in a circle
- Compression - To press or squeeze a specific area to reduce in size or volume
- Curvilinear motion - The moving body moves toward the same direction although the path is a curved line
- Deep - Away from the surface of the body
Depression - Moving a body part inferiorly - Distal - Further away from the point of origin
- Dorsi Flexion - Moving the dorsum (top of the foot) of the foot upward
- Dorsum - The back; the back surface of any part
- Elevation - Moving of a body part superiorly
- Eversion - Movement of the sole of the foot laterally at the ankle joint
- Exception - Finger or toe movements
- Excursion - Moving the jaw from side to side
- Extension - Movement in which the angle between two bones is increased
- External - Located closer to the surface of the body
- Flexion - Movement in which the angle between two bones is decreased
- Horizontal Adduction - Movement of the arm across the chest
- Horizontal Abduction - Movement of the arm away from the chest
Hyperactive Extension - When a portion of the body is extended beyond the anatomical position so that the joint angle is greater that 180° - Inferior - Away from the head or lower part of a structure
- Insertion - Point of attachment for a muscle on a bone
- Internal - Located away from the surface of the body
- Inversion - Movement of the sole of the foot medially at the ankle joint
- Isometric Contraction - Muscular contraction in which tension is developed but no mechanical work is done. There is no appreciable joint movement and the overall length of the muscle stays the same.
- Isotonic Contraction - A concentric or eccentric muscular contraction that results in movement of a joint or body part, as in lifting a weight.
- Lateral - Away from the midline of the body
- Lateral Rotation or External Rotation - The anterior surface of the distal segment moves outwards
- Linear motion or Rectilinear - All parts of the moving body move in the same direction as every other part of the body and the path follows a straight line
- Medial - Toward the midline of the body.
- Medial Rotation or Internal Rotation - The anterior surface of the distal segment moves inwards
- Opposition - Movement of the thumb touching a finger on the same hand
- Origin - Origination of a muscle on a bone
- Planter Flexion - Moving the bottom of the foot to the floor
- Posterior or Dorsal - Nearer to or at the back of the body
- Posterior Rotation - Rolling the hip back
- Pronation - Movement of the forearm in which the palm is turned posteriorly
- Prone - Means to lie face down
- Protraction - Movement forward in a plane parallel to the ground
- Protrusion - Moving anteriorly (eg: chin out)
- Proximal - Closer to the point of origin
- Radial Deviation or Wrist Abduction - Abduction of the wrist away from the midline
- Retraction - Movement backward in a plane parallel to the ground
- Retrusion - Moving posteriorly (eg: chin in)
- Rotary motion or Angular motion or Rotation - The object acts as a radius and all parts of the moving object rotate in the same angular direction and follow a circular path about a pivot point
- Rotation - Relates to the movement of a bone around its long axis
- Supination - Movement of the forearm in which the palm is turned anteriorly
- Superficial - Near the surface of the body
- Superior - Toward the head or upper part of a structure
- Supine - Means lying on your back
- Traction - To pull a specific area to increase in size or volume
- Translatory motion or Linear motion or Translation - All parts of the moving body move toward the same direction
- Ulnar Deviation or Wrist Adduction - Adduction of the wrist toward the midline
- Valgus - Angulation outward and away from the midline of the body
- Varus - Angulation inward and toward the midline of the body
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