Rehabilitation Abbreviations
98 abbreviations · part of Medical Abbreviations
Rehabilitation abbreviations are used by physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists and rehab nurses to record function, assistance levels, weight-bearing orders, equipment, treatments and standardized outcome measures. Terms such as ADL, ROM, WBAT, CGA and FWW appear in therapy evaluations, nursing handoffs and discharge plans, where they determine whether a patient can safely go home and what equipment or services are needed. Assistance levels and weight-bearing orders should always be read exactly as written, because a misread order can lead to falls or surgical failure.
| Abbreviation | Stands for | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 10MWT | Ten-meter walk test | Gait speed test in which the patient walks 10 meters and the time over the middle 6 meters is recorded, giving speed in meters per second at comfortable or fast pace. |
| 4WW | Four-wheeled walker | Walker with wheels on all four legs, hand brakes and usually a seat, often called a rollator. |
| 5xSTS | Five Times Sit to Stand Test | Timed test in which the patient stands up from a chair and sits down five times as quickly as possible with arms crossed. |
| 6MWT | Six-minute walk test | Submaximal exercise test measuring how far a person can walk on a flat course in six minutes, with rests allowed. |
| AAC | Augmentative and alternative communication | Methods that support or replace speech for people with severe communication impairments, ranging from picture boards and alphabet charts to speech-generating devices… |
| AAROM | Active-assisted range of motion | Movement in which the patient contracts the muscles but receives help from the therapist, the other limb, a pulley or equipment to complete the motion. |
| ABC | Activities-specific Balance Confidence scale | Sixteen-item questionnaire in which people rate their confidence, from 0 to 100 percent, that they will not lose balance during activities such as reaching, using… |
| AD | Assistive device | Any device used to help a patient walk or perform tasks safely, especially walkers, canes and crutches in therapy notes. |
| ADL | Activities of daily living | Basic self-care tasks people perform every day: bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring, continence and feeding. |
| AFO | Ankle-foot orthosis | Brace worn on the lower leg and foot, usually plastic or carbon fiber, that controls ankle motion and supports weak muscles, most often for foot drop after stroke… |
| AKA | Above-knee amputation | Surgical removal of the leg above the knee, also called transfemoral amputation, typically for severe vascular disease, infection, trauma or tumors. |
| AM-PAC | Activity Measure for Post-Acute Care | Set of functional outcome instruments covering basic mobility, daily activity and applied cognition. |
| AROM | Active range of motion | Joint movement the patient produces using their own muscles, without help. |
| BBS | Berg Balance Scale | Fourteen-item balance test scoring tasks such as standing unsupported, reaching, turning, standing on one leg and stepping onto a stool, each from 0 to 4, for a total… |
| BKA | Below-knee amputation | Surgical removal of the leg below the knee, also called transtibial amputation, most often because of diabetes and peripheral arterial disease. |
| BWSTT | Body-weight-supported treadmill training | Gait training in which a harness supports part of the patient's body weight over a treadmill while therapists assist leg movements. |
| CGA | Contact guard assist | Assistance level in which the helper keeps one or both hands on the patient, often on a gait belt, to steady them, without giving lifting help. |
| CIMT | Constraint-induced movement therapy | Stroke rehabilitation method in which the stronger arm is restrained, often with a mitt, for much of the day while the weaker arm practices intensive tasks. |
| CKC | Closed kinetic chain | Exercise in which the hand or foot is fixed against a surface, such as squats, leg presses, step-ups or push-ups. |
| COPM | Canadian Occupational Performance Measure | Interview-based measure in which patients identify the daily activities most important to them and rate their performance and satisfaction on 1 to 10 scales. |
| CPM | Continuous passive motion | Motorized device that slowly bends and straightens a joint, usually the knee, through a set range without the patient's muscle effort, used after some joint surgeries. |
| DASH | Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand | Thirty-item questionnaire measuring upper limb symptoms and function, scored 0 (no disability) to 100 (most severe). |
| Dep | Dependent | Assistance level in which the patient contributes less than about 25 percent of the effort and others perform the task, sometimes with a mechanical lift. |
| DGI | Dynamic Gait Index | Eight-item test of walking balance under changing demands: changing speed, turning the head, pivoting, stepping over and around obstacles and climbing stairs. |
| DME | Durable medical equipment | Reusable medical equipment prescribed for home use, such as wheelchairs, walkers, hospital beds, commodes, oxygen equipment and CPAP machines. |
| EOB | Edge of bed | Sitting position at the side of the bed with feet on the floor, often the first step in mobilizing patients after surgery or critical illness. |
| FEES | Fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing | Swallow assessment in which a thin flexible scope is passed through the nose to view the throat while the patient eats and drinks foods dyed for visibility. |
| FES | Functional electrical stimulation | Electrical stimulation timed to produce a useful movement, such as lifting the foot during walking for foot drop, or cycling with paralyzed legs after spinal cord injury. |
| FFWB | Foot-flat weight bearing | Weight-bearing order allowing the whole foot to rest flat on the ground with very light loading, mainly the weight of the leg itself. |
| FGA | Functional Gait Assessment | Ten-item walking balance test that modified the Dynamic Gait Index, adding tasks such as walking with a narrow base, eyes closed and backward. |
| FIM | Functional Independence Measure | Eighteen-item scale rating independence in self-care, sphincter control, transfers, locomotion, communication and social cognition, each scored from 1 (total… |
| FROM | Full range of motion | Exam finding that a joint moves through its complete expected range. |
| FWB | Full weight bearing | Order or status allowing the patient to place full body weight on the affected limb without restriction. |
| FWW | Front-wheeled walker | Walker with two front wheels and two rear legs or glides, letting the user push it forward instead of lifting it. |
| HEP | Home exercise program | Set of exercises taught by a therapist for the patient to do on their own between visits or after discharge, with written or video instructions. |
| HTL | Honey-thick liquids | Older dysphagia term for liquids thickened to flow slowly off a spoon, like honey, prescribed for patients who aspirate thinner liquids. |
| IADL | Instrumental activities of daily living | More complex everyday tasks needed to live independently, such as managing medications, money, shopping, cooking, housekeeping, laundry, using the telephone and… |
| IDDSI | International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative | Global framework that standardizes names and testing for texture-modified foods and thickened drinks, using levels 0 to 7 from thin liquids to regular foods. |
| IFC | Interferential current | Electrotherapy that crosses two medium-frequency currents in the tissues to create a low-frequency effect, used for pain relief and swelling. |
| IRF-PAI | Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Patient Assessment Instrument | Medicare-required assessment completed at admission and discharge for patients in inpatient rehabilitation facilities. |
| KAFO | Knee-ankle-foot orthosis | Long leg brace extending from the thigh to the foot that controls knee and ankle motion, used for significant leg weakness such as after polio, spinal cord injury or… |
| LAQ | Long arc quad | Seated knee extension exercise in which the patient straightens the knee from about 90 degrees of flexion to full extension, strengthening the quadriceps. |
| LEFS | Lower Extremity Functional Scale | Twenty-item questionnaire asking how difficult everyday activities are because of a leg problem, such as walking, stairs and squatting, scored 0 to 4 each for a total… |
| LOB | Loss of balance | Therapy and nursing term for an episode in which a patient becomes unsteady and would fall without correcting or being helped. |
| LSO | Lumbosacral orthosis | Brace supporting the lower back and limiting lumbar spine motion, used after lumbar surgery, for compression fractures or for back pain. |
| LTG | Long-term goal | Rehabilitation goal for the end of the episode of care or the expected discharge, such as returning home independently or resuming work. |
| Max A | Maximal assist | Assistance level in which the patient contributes only about 25 to 49 percent of the effort, with the helper doing most of the work. |
| MBSS | Modified barium swallow study | X-ray video examination of swallowing in which the patient eats and drinks barium-coated foods and liquids of different textures while a speech-language pathologist and… |
| MCID | Minimal clinically important difference | Smallest change in a score that patients would perceive as meaningful or that would change management. |
| MFR | Myofascial release | Manual therapy approach using sustained pressure and stretch on fascia and muscle to relieve pain and restore movement. |
| Min A | Minimal assist | Assistance level in which the patient performs most of the task, about 75 percent or more of the effort, with a helper providing light physical help. |
| MMT | Manual muscle testing | Examination in which a clinician grades muscle strength by resistance against movement on a 0 to 5 scale: 0 no contraction, 1 flicker, 2 movement with gravity… |
| Mod A | Moderate assist | Assistance level in which the patient performs about half to three quarters of the task, roughly 50 to 74 percent of the effort, and a helper provides the rest. |
| Mod I | Modified independent | Level in which the patient completes a task without help from another person but uses a device, extra time or a safety consideration, such as a walker or grab bar. |
| NDD | National Dysphagia Diet | Older US standard for texture-modified diets, with levels NDD1 (pureed), NDD2 (mechanically altered) and NDD3 (advanced), plus categories of thickened liquids. |
| NDI | Neck Disability Index | Ten-item questionnaire measuring how neck pain affects activities such as reading, driving, concentration and sleep, adapted from the Oswestry index. |
| NDT | Neurodevelopmental treatment | Hands-on therapy approach for people with neurological conditions such as stroke and cerebral palsy, focusing on posture, movement control and functional tasks. |
| NMES | Neuromuscular electrical stimulation | Electrical stimulation strong enough to contract muscles, used to strengthen weak muscles and prevent atrophy, for example the quadriceps after knee surgery or in… |
| NTL | Nectar-thick liquids | Older dysphagia term for liquids thickened slightly to flow more slowly than water, like fruit nectar, reducing aspiration risk in some patients with swallowing problems. |
| NWB | Non-weight bearing | Strict order that the affected limb must bear no weight at all, so the foot (or hand) must not touch the ground when standing or walking. |
| ODI | Oswestry Disability Index | Ten-section questionnaire measuring how low back pain limits daily activities such as sitting, lifting, walking and sleeping, scored as a percentage from 0 to 100. |
| OKC | Open kinetic chain | Exercise in which the end of the limb moves freely in space, such as a seated leg extension or arm curl. |
| OT | Occupational therapy | Therapy service that helps people do the everyday activities they need and want to do, such as self-care, work, school and leisure, through retraining, adaptive… |
| PLOF | Prior level of function | Patient's functional abilities before the current illness or injury, such as walking without a device, driving and living alone. |
| PM&R | Physical medicine and rehabilitation | Medical specialty, also called physiatry, focused on restoring function in people with disabilities from injuries or illness, such as stroke, spinal cord injury, brain… |
| PNF | Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation | Therapy approach using diagonal movement patterns, resistance and stretch reflexes to improve strength, coordination and flexibility. |
| PRE | Progressive resistive exercise | Strength training that systematically increases resistance as the patient gets stronger, using weights, bands or machines. |
| PROM | Passive range of motion | Joint movement produced entirely by an outside force, such as a therapist, caregiver or machine, with the patient's muscles relaxed. |
| PT | Physical therapy | Therapy service that improves movement, strength, balance and function after injury, surgery or illness, and treats pain using exercise, manual therapy and education. |
| PWB | Partial weight bearing | Order allowing only a portion of body weight on the affected limb, often stated as a percentage or in pounds, such as 50 percent PWB. |
| QC | Quad cane | Cane with a rectangular base and four small feet, giving more stability than a single-point cane. |
| RICE | Rest, ice, compression, elevation | First-aid approach for acute soft tissue injuries such as sprains and strains: limit use, apply cold, wrap with an elastic bandage and raise the limb. |
| ROM | Range of motion | Extent of movement possible at a joint, measured in degrees with a goniometer or estimated visually, and described for each motion such as flexion or abduction. |
| RPE | Rating of perceived exertion | Scale on which people rate how hard exercise feels. |
| RTS | Raised toilet seat | Seat that attaches to a standard toilet to increase its height, making sitting and standing easier, especially after hip or knee replacement and for people with weak… |
| RW | Rolling walker | Walker with wheels on the front legs, the same device as a front-wheeled walker, used for patients needing support for balance or limited weight bearing. |
| SAQ | Short arc quad | Quadriceps exercise performed lying down with a bolster under the knee: the patient straightens the knee over the last 30 degrees or so of motion. |
| SAR | Subacute rehabilitation | Rehabilitation provided in a skilled nursing facility for patients who need therapy after a hospital stay but cannot tolerate or do not qualify for intensive inpatient… |
| SBA | Stand-by assist | Assistance level in which a helper stays close enough to help if needed but does not touch the patient. |
| SBT | Sliding board transfer | Transfer using a smooth board bridging two surfaces, such as bed and wheelchair, across which the patient slides while seated. |
| SLR | Straight leg raise | Exercise lifting the straightened leg while lying on the back to strengthen hip flexors and quadriceps; also a clinical test that raises the leg passively to reproduce… |
| SPC | Single-point cane | Standard cane with one tip, used for mild balance problems or to offload a painful leg. |
| SPT | Stand pivot transfer | Transfer in which the patient stands, turns on their feet and sits on another surface, such as from bed to wheelchair or commode. |
| ST | Speech therapy | Therapy service treating speech, language, voice, fluency, cognitive-communication and swallowing disorders, delivered by speech-language pathologists. |
| STG | Short-term goal | Measurable rehabilitation goal expected within a short period, often one to two weeks or by discharge from an acute setting, as a step toward the long-term goal. |
| STM | Soft tissue mobilization | Manual therapy techniques applied to muscles, tendons, ligaments and fascia, such as massage, kneading and friction, to reduce pain and tension and improve mobility. |
| STS | Sit to stand | Functional transfer from sitting to standing, a key skill for independent living that is trained and documented in physical and occupational therapy notes with the… |
| TDWB | Touch-down weight bearing | Order allowing the foot of the affected leg to rest on the floor for balance with minimal weight, generally interpreted as no more than about 10 to 20 percent of body… |
| TENS | Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation | Pain relief method that delivers mild electrical currents through skin electrodes from a small battery-powered unit, thought to work partly by blocking pain signals and… |
| TLSO | Thoracolumbosacral orthosis | Rigid or semi-rigid trunk brace that limits movement of the thoracic and lumbar spine, used after spinal fractures, surgery or for scoliosis. |
| TTB | Tub transfer bench | Bench that sits partly inside and partly outside a bathtub so a person can sit down outside the tub and slide across, avoiding stepping over the tub wall. |
| TTWB | Toe-touch weight bearing | Order allowing the toes of the affected leg to touch the floor for balance only, with essentially no weight placed through the limb. |
| TUG | Timed Up and Go | Mobility test in which the patient stands from a chair, walks 3 meters, turns, returns and sits down while being timed. |
| US | Therapeutic ultrasound | Physical therapy modality that delivers high-frequency sound waves through a gel-coupled probe to heat deep tissues or produce nonthermal effects, used for some tendon… |
| VFSS | Videofluoroscopic swallow study | Instrumental swallowing evaluation using real-time X-ray video while the patient swallows barium-mixed foods and liquids. |
| w/c | Wheelchair | Mobility device used by patients who cannot walk safely or far, propelled by the user, a helper or a motor. |
| WBAT | Weight bearing as tolerated | Postoperative or injury order allowing the patient to put as much weight on the affected limb as comfort allows, up to full weight. |
| WFL | Within functional limits | Rehabilitation term stating that a measurement, such as strength or range of motion, may not be fully normal but is sufficient for the patient's everyday tasks. |
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