Okuzeka
Physiotherapy vocabulary · Instructions and Patient Talk

Flare-up

Meaning in physiotherapy, with examples

/ˈflɛr ʌp/nounCommon term

In physiotherapy, flare-up means: A period when the symptoms of a long-term condition, especially pain, suddenly get worse for a while.

In Turkish: alevlenme, ağrının azması

How it is used

Common in chronic pain, arthritis and back pain. Physiotherapists help patients make a flare-up plan: what to do, how to adjust exercise and when to ask for help. The phrasal verb is 'flare up': 'my back flared up after gardening'.

Example sentences

  1. If you have a flare-up, do fewer exercises but don't stop moving completely.

  2. Her knee had a flare-up after a long walk at the weekend.

Common collocations

  • have a flare-up
  • flare-up plan
  • manage a flare-up
  • flare up after
  • chronicDescribes a condition or pain that has lasted a long time, usually more than three months, or that keeps coming back.
  • pace yourselfTo spread activity out over time and take breaks before you get too tired or sore, instead of doing too much at once.
  • adherenceHow well a patient follows the treatment they agreed to, for example doing their exercises regularly and in the way they were shown.
  • osteoarthritisA long-term joint condition in which the cartilage covering the ends of the bones gradually wears down, causing pain, stiffness and sometimes swelling.

More terms: Instructions and Patient Talk

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.