I Glossary of Terms for
Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine

I

Ice Massage:

A block of ice formed into a paper cup rubbed on an injury in a massaging action to achieve a level of numbness.

Iliac Crest:

Lateral edge of the hip; generally the site of a hip pointer.

Illiotibial Band:

A thick, wide fascial layer that runs from the iliac crest to the knee joint and is occasionally inflamed as a result of excessive running.

Impingement Syndrome:

Pinching together of the supraspinatus muscle and other soft tissue in the shoulder. The most common (throwing) arm injury, which represents many pathologies and generally involves supraspinatus overuse.

Induced Erythrocythemia:

"Blood Doping"

Inferior:

Anatomically beneath, lower, or toward the bottom.

Inflammation:

The body's natural response to injury in which the injury site might display various degrees of pain, swelling, heat, redness and/or loss of function.

Intermittent Compression Pump:

Therapeutic modality that uses an air pump to send air into a sleeve worn over an injury, on an intermittent basis, in order to disperse edema and break up swelling at the injury.

Internal Rotation:

Rotation of a joint of extremity medially, to the inside.

Interosseus Membrane:

Uniting membrane between the tibia and fibula that forms a collagenous fibrous tissue. It has two functions:

to serve as an origin for many of the muscles of the lower leg, and to transmit stress from the tibia to the fibula.

Intrinsic:

Inherent or inside.

Iontopheresis:

A modality used in which direct current is used to drive medical solutions into and through the skin.

Isokinetic Exercise:

Form of active resistive exercise in which the speed of limb movement is controlled by a pre-set limiting machine, such as Cybex or Biodex.

Isometric Contraction:

Muscular contraction in which tension is developed but no mechanical work is done. There is no appreciable joint movement and the overall length of the muscle stays the same.

Isotonic Contraction:

A concentric or eccentric muscular contaction that results in movement of a joint or body part, as in lifting a weight.

"Itis":

Suffix connoting inflammation (e.g. tendinitis, bursitis).

Inversion:

To turn inward.

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