Okuzeka
Physiotherapy vocabulary · Assessment and Examination

Tenderness

Meaning in physiotherapy, with examples

/ˈtɛndərnəs/nounCommon term

In physiotherapy, tenderness means: Pain or discomfort that appears when a particular area of the body is pressed or touched.

In Turkish: hassasiyet, basmakla ağrı

How it is used

A finding the physiotherapist detects by palpation, unlike pain the patient feels without being touched. Notes say 'tenderness over the medial joint line' or 'point tenderness'. The adjective is tender: 'Is it tender here?'

Example sentences

  1. There is marked tenderness over the outside of the elbow.

  2. Tell me if you feel any tenderness when I press here.

Common collocations

  • point tenderness
  • marked tenderness
  • tenderness on palpation
  • joint line tenderness
  • palpationExamining the body by feeling it carefully with the hands, to find tenderness, swelling, muscle tightness, temperature changes or the position of structures.
  • swellingAn increase in the size of a part of the body caused by extra fluid in the tissues, often after an injury, an operation or inflammation.
  • objective assessmentThe part of a physiotherapy assessment in which the physiotherapist observes, measures and tests the patient's body, for example movement, strength and special tests.

This word in other fields

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

More terms: Assessment and Examination

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