Muscles And Anatomy

Front 1

Lack of normal tone or strength. This happens in muscles that are deprived of innervation. Try not to confuse this term with atrophy (below) or atopy (which is a genetic predisposition towards hypersensitivity to common environmental antigens).

Back 1

atony

Front 2

The wasting away or weakening of muscle fibers due to a lack of usage. There are many different kinds of atrophy. Look up atrophy in a medical dictionary and read or scan the terms which appear under this category.

Back 2

atrophy

Front 3

inflammation of a bursa

Back 3

bursitis

Front 4

A sac-like cavity filled with synovial fluid that is located in places where tendons or muscles pass over bony prominences.

Back 4

bursa

Front 5

charley horse

Back 5

A bruised or torn muscle accompanied by cramps and severe pain. This particular injury most commonly affects the quadriceps muscle. (Incidentally, quadriceps is like biceps or triceps and always has the s," whether singular or plural.) Lay people refer to any muscle spasm of the legs or feet as a charley horse.

Front 6

cramp

Back 6

A sustained spasm or contraction of a muscle accompanied by severe, localized pain.

Front 7

dystonia

Back 7

Sustained abnormal postures or disruptions of normal movement resulting from alterations of muscle tone.

Front 8

Dupuytren's contracture

Back 8

Painless thickening and contracture of the palmar fascia due to fibrous proliferation, resulting in loss of function of the fingers.

Front 9

fasciculations

Back 9

Similar to fibrillations or tremors. A repetitive, involuntary contraction of muscle. The main cause is nerve damage.

Front 10

fibromyalgia

Back 10

A group of rheumatic disorders characterized by achy pain, tenderness, and stiffness of muscles and tendon insertions. (Also called myofascial pain syndrome and fibromyositis.)

Front 11

myofascial pain

Back 11

A chronic condition affecting the fascia, or connective tissue covering muscles. It may involve a single muscle or muscle group.

Front 12

fibromyositis

Back 12

The chronic inflammation of a muscle with hyperplasia (overgrowth) of connective tissue.

Front 13

ganglion

Back 13

A thin-walled band cyst formed on a joint capsule or tendon sheath.

Front 14

leiomyoma

Back 14

A benign tumor of smooth muscle tissue, e.g., the uterus.

Front 15

muscular dystrophy

Back 15

A genetic abnormality of muscle tissue characterized by dysfunction and ultimately deterioration.

Front 16

myalgia

Back 16

muscle pain

Front 17

myasthenia gravis

Back 17

A chronic progressive neuromuscular weakness, usually starting with the muscles of the face and throat.

Front 18

myopathy

Back 18

any disease of the muscles

Front 19

myositis ossificans

Back 19

A disease characterized by bony deposits or the ossification of muscle tissue.

Front 20

paralysis

Back 20

The loss of nervous control of a muscle. This impairment is commonly thought of as related to paraplegia or quadriplegia. However, there are many different types of paralysis affecting many different muscles and organs of the body. These can be seen in a medical dictionary under paralysis.

Front 21

paraplegia

Back 21

paralysis of the legs

Front 22

quadriplegia

Back 22

paralysis of all four limbs

Front 23

plantar fasciitis

Back 23

Excessive pulling or stretching of the calcaneal periosteum by the plantar fascia, resulting in pain along the inner border of the plantar fascia. This definition applies specifically to the process which affects the plantar surface of the foot. Fasciitis is inflammation of the fascia. There are other types of fasciitis, which can be seen in a medical dictionary under fasciitis.

Front 24

polymyositis

Back 24

An autoimmune disorder which causes atrophy and weakness of the muscles.

Front 25

rigor mortis

Back 25

Rigor means chilled, stiffness, rigidity. Rigor mortis is the muscular hardness occurring four to seven hours after death.

Front 26

tendinitis

Back 26

Inflammation of a tendon or the synovial lining of a tendon sheath due to trauma or repetitive wear. (Note the spelling. Tendonitis is an acceptable alternative spelling, but tendinitis is preferred.)

Front 27

tenosynovitis

Back 27

The inflammation of the tendon and the tendon sheath.

Front 28

tennis elbow

Back 28

A strain of the lateral forearm muscles or the tendinous attachments near their origin on the epicondyle of the humerus.

Front 29

lateral and medial epicondylitis

Back 29

Also referred to as tennis elbow, a condition characterized by weakness and pain in the muscles and tendons of the outside elbow.

Front 30

tetanus

Back 30

A disease caused by the bacterium Clostridium tetani, which produces a toxin that causes muscles to go into tetany (hyperexcitability of nerves and muscles, specifically characterized by muscular cramps and twitching). Jaw muscles are affected first. Lockjaw is the more common name.

Front 31

torticollis

Back 31

Contraction of sternocleidomastoid muscle, causing rotation of the head.

Front 32

seizure

Back 32

sudden attack of disease

Front 33

epilepsy

Back 33

is any of a group of syndromes that are characterized by a disturbance in brain function, which results in loss of consciousness, abnormal motor phenomena, or neurosensory disturbances. An episode resulting from an epileptic condition is called a seizure.

Front 34

Parkinson disease

Back 34

his is a progressive degenerative nervous system disorder that is characterized by four features: slowness and absence of movement, muscular rigidity, resting tremor, and unstable posture.

Front 35

rigidity

Back 35

means stiffness or inflexibility. This is the fourth most common disease afflicting the elderly.