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Physiotherapy vocabulary · Gait, Mobility and Walking Aids

Mobility

Meaning in physiotherapy, with examples

/moʊˈbɪləti/nounCore term

In physiotherapy, mobility means: A person's ability to move around, such as getting out of bed, standing up and walking; also how freely a joint or part of the body can move.

In Turkish: mobilite, hareketlilik

How it is used

On hospital wards it describes how independently a patient moves: 'mobility is independent with a stick'. In sport and gym settings it often means joint or spinal movement, as in 'hip mobility exercises'. The related verb 'mobilise' (US 'mobilize') means helping a patient get up and move, for example after surgery.

Example sentences

  1. His mobility has improved, and he now walks to the bathroom with a frame.

  2. We'll mobilise you this afternoon, just a few steps around the bed.

Common collocations

  • reduced mobility
  • independent mobility
  • mobility aid
  • improve mobility
  • hip mobility
  • gaitThe way a person walks, including the pattern of their steps, their speed and balance, and how the legs and arms move.
  • walking frameA light metal frame with four legs, sometimes with wheels, that a person holds with both hands for support while walking.
  • transferMoving a patient from one surface to another, for example from bed to chair, chair to toilet or wheelchair to car.
  • crutchesA pair of walking aids that take weight off one or both legs, held either under the armpits or with cuffs around the forearms.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Gait, Mobility and Walking Aids

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