Okuzeka
Physiotherapy vocabulary · Instructions and Patient Talk

Straighten

Meaning in physiotherapy, with examples

/ˈstreɪtən/verbCore term

In physiotherapy, straighten means: To move a joint so that the body part becomes straight and the angle at the joint gets larger; the everyday word for extension.

In Turkish: düzleştirmek, düz hale getirmek, dikleşmek

How it is used

Used in instructions to patients: 'straighten your knee', 'straighten your arm', 'can you straighten it all the way?'. It is often paired with bend: 'bend and straighten your knee ten times'. 'Straighten up' means standing up tall again after bending forward.

Example sentences

  1. Push the back of your knee into the bed to straighten it fully.

  2. It hurts when I straighten up after bending over.

Common collocations

  • straighten your knee
  • straighten your arm
  • straighten up
  • bend and straighten
  • extensionA straightening movement that makes the angle between two parts of the body larger, such as straightening the knee or leaning the trunk backwards.
  • bendTo move a joint so that the body part folds and the angle at the joint gets smaller; the everyday word for flexion.
  • holdTo keep a part of the body still in one position for a set time during an exercise or stretch, before relaxing.
  • tightenTo make a muscle work so that it becomes firm, often without moving the joint, as in the instruction 'tighten your thigh muscle'.

More terms: Instructions and Patient Talk

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