Physical Therapy Abbreviations

Physical Therapy Abbreviations

There are many abbreviations specific to the field of physical therapy, rehabilitation and health care. Many of the common abbreviation can be misinterpreted as they often represent different things. This can often be confusing to other physical therapists, health care professionals and students alike. This resource was created to review the most common abbreviations and their meanings. This list is not complete as is this meant as an open project which will be added to as and when. If any viewer would like to comment on the content please feel free to do so.

Also see:
Physical Therapy Symbols
Musculoskeletal Abbreviations
Subjective Abbreviations

(A, B & C)

Abbreviation	Definition
Acup	Acupunture
a/c jt or ACJ	Acromioclavicular joint
A.N.T	Adverse neural tension
AROM	Active range of movement
ASIS	Anterior superior iliac spine
Ant	Anterior
Agg or aggrav	Aggravating factors
A.S.	Ankylosing spondylitis
a/a	As above
ACL	Anterior cruciate ligament
A.J. *	Ankle jerk
A.J.*	Ankle joint
aa*	Atlanto-axial joint
aa*	Aortic Aneurysm
Abd	Abduction
Add	Adduction
ANS	Autonomic nervous system
Ach T	Achilles tendon
B/T, btw or btwn	Between
B4	Before
Bc	Because
B*	Better
B*	Bilateral
BP	Blood pressure
Bilat	Bilateral
c/o	Complains of
Ca	Cancer
c.f	Compared with
C/sp, Cxsp or Cx	Cervical spine
CMP	Chondromalacia patella
CTD	Carpal tunnel decompression
CTJ	Cervico-thoracic junction
CNA	Could not attend
Canx or canc	Cancelled
Const	constant
CHF	Congestive heart failure
Chol	Cholesterol
CV	Cardiovascular
CVA	Cardiovascular accident
C1-7	Labelled 1st to 7th cervical vertebrae
Circ*	Circumduction
Circ*	Circulation
Ceph	Cephalad
Caud	Caudad
Contra	Contralateral
CMC	Carpometacarpal
CUS	Continuous ultrasound
CTS	Carpal tunnel syndrome

(D, E & F)

Abbreviation	Definition
D/H, DH or DHx	Drug history
D/C	Discharge
Dr	Doctor
D/W	Discuss with
DNA	Did not attend
DNF	Deep neck flexors
DTF*	Deep transverse frictions
DFT*	Deep tissue frictions
DOB	Date of birth
DRAM	Diastasis of rectus abdominus
DF	Dorsiflexion
DL	Double leg
Dist	Distal
DTM	Deep tissue massage
DKB	Double knee bend
d/t	Due to
Exs or X’s	Exercises
Ext	Extension
ER	External rotation
Elev	Elevation
Ep	Epilepsy
Elb	Elbow
EOD	End of day
EOR	End of range
ERP or EoRP	End of range pain
Ev or ever	Eversion
EIL	Extension in lying
EIS	Extension in standing
ERSL	Extended rotated side flexion left
ERSR	Extended rotated side flexion right
Flex or Fl	Flexion
FF	Forward flexion
FROM*	Full range of motion
FROM*	Full range of movement
FFD	Fixed flexion deformity
FHP	Forward head posture
FNT	Femoral nerve test
FIL	Flexion in lying
FIS	Flexion in standing
FT	Fingertips
FRSL	Flexed rotated side flexed left
FRSR	Flexed rotated side flexed right

(G, H & I)

Abbreviation	Definition
G.H.	General health
GH Jt or GHJ	Gleno-humeral joint
GOOB	Getting out of bed
Gluts	Gluteus
Gmax	Gluteus maximus
Gmed or GM	Gluteus medius
Gmin	Gluteus minimus
GP	General practitioner
Gastroc	Gastrocnemius
HEP or HP	Home exercise programme
HPC, HoPC or HxPC	History of present complaint
HBB	Hand behind back
HBH	Hand behind head
H/o	History of
HOS	Hand opposite shoulder
HF	Horizontal flexion
HE	Horizontal extension
HFP	Head forward posture
Hypo	Hypomobility
Hyper	hypermobility
HU	Humero-ulnar
HJ	Hip joint
Hams, h/string or h/s	Hamstrings
IF	Interferential
IRQ	Inner range quadriceps
ILA	Inferior lateral angle
ITB	Ilio-tibial band
ISQ	In status quo or the same
Inf	Inferior
Inf TF	Inferior tibio-fibular joint
Infsp or i.s.	Infraspinatus
IL Lig	Iliolumbar ligament
Imp*	Impression of problem
Imp*	Improved
IR	Internal rotation
Ix or Invest	Investigations
IDDM	Diabetes (insulin dependent)
I/M*	Intermittent
I/M*	Intermuscular
Inv	Inversion
Ipsi	Ipsilateral
IC	Intercarpal
IP	Interphalangeal

(J, K & L)

Abbreviation	Definition
Jt or jnt	Joint
Kn	Knee
KJ	Knee jerk
KTW	Knee to wall
LL	Lower limb
L1-5	Labelled 1st to 5th lumbar vertebrae
L	Left
LLD	Leg length discrepancy
L.H.S.	Left hand side
LLTT	Lower limb tension test
LFT	Lower fibres of Trapezius
Ly	Lying
Lat rotn or LR	Lateral rotation
LBP	Lower back pain
LCL	Lateral collateral ligament
LF	Lateral flexion
Lx, LSp or Lx/sp	Lumbar spine
LSj or L/S	Lumbo-sacral junction
Lat epi	Lateral epicondyle
LG	Lateral glide
Lig	Ligament
LHOB	Long head of biceps

(M, N & O)

Abbreviation	Definition
Men	Meniscus
MAP	Myotatic activation procedure
Med rotn or MR	Medial rotation
MS	Multiple sclerosis
MSU	Mid stream urine
ME	Myalgic encephalitis
MET	Muscle energy techniques
M’s, m or mm	Muscle(s)
Mobs	Mobilizations
Manip	Manipulations
Mx	Management
MCP	Meta-carpo phalangeal
MCL	Medial collateral ligament
MF	Medium frequency
MFR	Myofascial release
MWM	Mobilisation with movement
MG	Medial glide
Mvmt, movt or mvt	Movement
NAD	Nothing abnormal detected
NOF	Neck of femur
NOH	Neck of humerus
NSAID’s	Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
NIDDM	Non-insulin dependent diabetes
Nag	Natural apophyseal glide
NE	No effect
NB	No better
NW	No worse
NBI	No bony injury
Neuro	Neurological
NRLSR	Neutral rotation left side flexed right
NRRSL	Neutral rotation right side flexed left
N	Nerve
OA*	Osteoarthritis
OA*	Occipito-atlanto joint
O/E	Objective examination
OP	Overpressure
OT or op	Operation
Occ*	Occasionally
Occ*	Occiput
OC	Oral contraceptive

(P& Q)

Abbreviation	Definition
Palp	Palpation
P*	Pain
P*	Pressure
PAIVM	Passive accessory intervertebral movement
PPIVM	Passive physiological intervertebral movement
PWB	Partial weight bearing
PID*	Prolapsed intervertebral disc
PID*	Pelvic inflammatory disease
PKB	Prone knee bend
PMH or PMHx	Past medical history
P/F jt or PFJ	Patella-femoral joints
PSIS	Posterior superior iliac spine
PT	Physiotherapist or physical therapist
Pt.	Patient
PNF*	Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation
PNF*	Passive neck flexion
PROM	Passive range of motion/movement
Pr.ly.	Prone lying
PF	Plantar flexion
Post	Posterior
Prox	Proximal
Pat	Patella
PS	Pubic symphysis
PCL	Posterior cruciate ligament
PUS	Pulsed ultrasound
PC	Presenting complaint
PD*	Provisional diagnosis
PD*	Parkinson’s disease
Prn (Pro re nata)	As required
P1	Onset of pain
P2	Limits of pain
PDM	Pain during movement
PNS	Parasympathetic nervous system
Pron	Pronation
Piri or pir	Piriformis
PA	Posteroanterior
PGM	Posterior gluteus medius
QL	Quadratus lumborum
Quads	Quadriceps
QH	Quadriceps and hamstrings

(R& S)

Abbreviation	Definition
R1	Onset of resistance
R2	Point where resistance limits movement
RHS	Right hand side
Rx	Treatment
R	Right
ROM	Range of motion
RA	Rheumatoid arthritis
R/v, rv or rev	Review
Rotn	Rotation
RSD	Reflex sympathetic dystrophy
RTA	Road traffic accident
RTC	Road traffic collision
RO	Removal of
Ret or retn	Retraction
R.u.	Radioulnar
R.c.	Radiocarpal
RF	Rectus femoris
Rhom or rh	Rhomboids
RBB	Reach behind back
RBH	Reach behind head
RBN	Reach behind neck
R’d	Resisted
SH or SHx	Social history
Sh	Shoulder
SIJ	Sacroiliac joint
SLR	Straight leg raise
SQ/c	Static quads contraction
S1-5	Labelled 1st to 5th sacral segments
St*	Standing
St*	Stiffness/stiff
Sitt	Sitting
STM	Soft tissue massage
STI	Soft tissue injury
S/B	Seen by
SF	Side flexion
S.ly	Side lying
Sup	Superior
Supn	Supination
SCJ or S/C jt	Sternoclavicular joint
SS	Sacral sulcus
Sub occ	Sub-occipital
SP	Spinous process
SCM	Sterno-cleido mastoid
Supsp or ss	Supraspinatus
ST lig	Sacrotuberous ligament
SSTM	Specific soft tissue massage
SNAG	Sustained natural apophyseal glide
SG	Side glide
SGIS	Side glide in standing
SE	Subjective examination
Sl	Slightly
Sx	Surgeon
SHR	Scapulohumeral rhythm
SL/SLS	Single leg/single leg stance
S	Spasm
SNS	Sympathetic nervous system
ST	Sub talar
Scal	Scalenes
SKB	Single knee bend
Scol	Scoliosis
S/T	Spoke to
SNF	Superficial neck flexors

(T, U & V)

Abbreviation	Definition
T	Treatment
TOP	Tender on palpation
TP	Transverse process
Tx/sp, Tx sp,Thx sp or Tsp	Thoracic spine
TA*	Tendo Achilles
TA* or trans abdo	Transverse abdominus
TFL	Tensor fascia lata
T1-12	Labelled 1st to 12th thoracic vertebrae
TP	Trigger point
TPR	Trigger point release
Trap	Trapezius
Tmin	Teres minor
Tmaj	Teres major
Tibfem or TFJ	Tibiofemoral joint
TB	Tuberculosis
TL jxn	Thoraco-lumbar junction
TC or TCJ	Talo-crural (joint)
TN	Talo-navicular
Tx	Treatment
UL	Upper limb
UTA	Unable to attend
ULTT	Upper limb tension test
U/S	Ultrasound
UFT	Upper fibers of trapezius
Uni	Unilateral
VMO	Vastus medialis oblique
V. lat or VL	Vastus lateralis
v.	Very

(W,X,Y& Z)

Abbreviation	Definition
Wt or wgt	Weight
Wb	Weight bearing
W	Worse
WIN	Wake in night