BodyWiki · A–Z index
Entries starting with B
102
entries
Baby carrier positioning and the M-positionThe basics of wearing a baby carrier are to position the baby with their knees higher than their bottom in an M-position and distribute the weight through Backpack load limits and fitThe most widely recommended approach is to keep a backpack's load at no more than around 10% of body weight and wear it snug against the back using both shBackpack palsyBackpack palsy is a condition in which heavy backpack straps press on or stretch the bundle of nerves crossing the shoulder (the brachial plexus) for a proBadminton injuriesBadminton involves quick footwork, sudden changes of direction, and repeated overhead smashes, so stress can concentrate on the ankles, knees, and shoulderBaduanjinBaduanjin is a well-known Chinese Qigong exercise sequence that links eight movements in order. Its name means “eight pieces of beautiful brocade.”Baker's cystA Baker's cyst is a sac-like swelling caused by joint fluid collecting in the hollow behind the knee.BalanceBalance is the ability to keep your center of mass stable within the area where your feet make contact with the ground (the base of support).Balance padA balance pad is an exercise tool that helps you develop balance by standing on a soft foam pad.Balance trainingBalance training is exercise that develops your ability to keep your balance while standing still and moving.Balanced ligamentous tensionBalanced ligamentous tension (BLT) is a gentle osteopathic manual technique that involves finding a point where the pull of the ligaments surrounding a joiBall of the footThe ball of the foot is the rounded, fleshy part of the sole just behind the toes.Ballet injuriesBallet is an art that takes the hips, ankles, feet, and lower back to the limits of their range of motion, so the stresses that accumulate in dancers’ bodiBallistic trainingBallistic training involves trying to accelerate a weight or your body as quickly as possible.Ballottement testBallottement is the name given to tests that use a gentle push of the hand to feel whether a structure floats or moves back and forth.Bankart lesionA Bankart lesion is an injury in which the labrum detaches or tears at the anteroinferior rim of the glenoid when the shoulder dislocates forward.Barefoot walking and earthingBarefoot walking means taking off your shoes and walking on dirt paths, grass, or sand, feeling the ground directly through the soles of your feet.BaroreflexThe baroreflex is an autonomic reflex that stabilizes blood pressure by automatically adjusting your heartbeat and blood vessels when blood pressure suddenBasal metabolic rateBasal metabolic rate is the minimum amount of energy your body uses to sustain life, even when you are resting without doing any activity.Base of supportThe base of support is the area formed by the points where your body touches the ground or an object and the space between them.Baseball pitching biomechanicsBaseball pitching biomechanics examines the sequence in which the legs, trunk, shoulder, elbow, and wrist move while throwing a ball, and how much force thBasement membraneThe basement membrane is a very thin but strong sheet of collagen that supports the cells covering the skin or lining the intestines (the epithelium).Basketball injury patternsAnkle sprains are the most common injuries in basketball, followed by knee and finger injuries.Baxter nerve entrapmentBaxter nerve entrapment is a condition in which the inferior calcaneal nerve, a nerve on the inner side of the heel, is compressed beneath the inner arch oBee venomBee venom is the toxic substance honeybees release when they sting.Beighton scoreThe Beighton score is a simple score out of 9 that uses five movements to check how far your joints bend backward.Berg Balance ScaleThe Berg Balance Scale (BBS) scores balance ability through 14 everyday movements, such as standing up from sitting, standing, picking up an object, and loBeta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrateHMB is a substance produced when the essential amino acid leucine is metabolized in the body.BiasBias is a systematic error that skews results in one direction during the design, conduct, or interpretation of a study.Biceps brachiiThe biceps brachii is the muscle that forms the familiar bulge at the front of your upper arm.Biceps femorisThe biceps femoris is a muscle on the outer back of the thigh that helps bend the knee and extend the hip backward.Biceps tendinitisBiceps tendinitis is a condition in which the tendon of the biceps brachii, the muscle at the front of the upper arm, becomes painful with repeated use at BiofeedbackBiofeedback uses devices to measure signals that occur unconsciously in the body, such as muscle tension, heart rate, breathing, and skin temperature, and Biofield therapiesBiofield therapies is an umbrella term for approaches based on the idea that a vital energy field surrounds or flows through the human body.Biomechanical dysfunctionBiomechanical dysfunction refers to a state in which a joint does not move with its surfaces fitting together appropriately and becomes stuck toward one siBiomechanical effects of high heelsWearing high heels holds your ankles in a downward-pointing position and concentrates your weight on the forefoot, changing the way you walk.BiomechanicsBiomechanics is the study of how the body moves, using the physical laws of force and motion.Biopsychosocial modelThe biopsychosocial model views pain not simply as a reflection of the body's condition, but as a personal experience shaped by interactions among the bodyBipartite patellaBipartite patella is an inborn variation in shape in which the kneecap (patella) does not fully fuse into one bone during childhood and remains in two piecBlack discA black disc refers to a disc between the vertebrae that looks darker or blacker than the surrounding tissue on an MRI scan.Bladder in traditional Korean medicineIn traditional Korean medicine, the bladder is one of the six fu organs.Bladder meridian of foot taiyangThe bladder meridian of foot taiyang is a meridian considered in traditional Korean medicine to connect with the bladder.BlindingBlinding is a procedure that keeps participants or researchers from knowing who received which intervention in a study.Blocked and random practiceBlocked practice involves repeating one movement in a block (AAAA BBBB), while random practice involves mixing several movements and alternating among themBlood flow restriction trainingBlood flow restriction training involves exercising with light weights while using specialized cuffs around the uppermost part of the arms or legs to partiBlood stasisBlood stasis is a concept in traditional Korean medicine that refers to blood failing to circulate properly and instead pooling and clumping in one place.Blount diseaseBlount disease is a condition during growth in which slower growth at the growth plate on the upper inner side of the shinbone causes the leg below the kneBody asymmetryBody asymmetry is a broad term for noticeable differences between the left and right sides, such as shoulder height, pelvic tilt, leg length, and spinal alBody awarenessBody awareness is the ability to notice your own body's position, movement, tension, and internal state.Body care for older adultsBody care for older adults means understanding age-related changes in strength, balance, walking, and sensation, and helping people maintain everyday movemBody composition analysisBody composition analysis is a way to examine body weight in terms of fat, fat-free tissue, body water, and bone components.Body fat percentageBody fat percentage is the proportion of your total body weight made up of fat.Body mass indexBody mass index (BMI) is body weight (kg) divided by height (m) squared.Body rhythms in manual therapyBody rhythms are a concept in craniosacral therapy and Integrative Manual Therapy (IMT) involving the perception, through touch, of slow, subtle movements Body schemaBody schema is the internal map your brain continually maintains of “where my body is and how it is positioned right now”—like knowing where your hand is eBody shapeBody shape is the overall appearance of your body, including your height, skeletal proportions, the contours of your muscles and fat, and even your standinBody-based approaches to traumaBody-based approaches to trauma view the traces of difficult experiences as remaining not only in memories and thoughts, but also in bodily tension and staBodyweight exerciseBodyweight exercise uses your own body weight and gravity as resistance, without dumbbells or machines.BodyworkBodywork is a broad term that brings together various approaches involving hands-on contact with the body or exploring bodily sensations through movement.Bohr effectThe Bohr effect is the phenomenon in which hemoglobin releases oxygen more readily as blood becomes more acidic or contains more carbon dioxide.Bone ageBone age expresses how mature the bones are in terms of age.Bone and soft tissue tumorsTumors that develop in bone and soft tissues (such as muscle, fat, tendons, and synovial membranes) may have similar names, but they differ in the tissue tBone bruiseA bone bruise is an injury to the fine internal structures of a bone and its bone marrow caused by an impact, such as a fall or collision.Bone cystA bone cyst is a benign change in which a hollow space filled with fluid or soft tissue forms inside a bone.Bone marrowBone marrow is the soft tissue that fills the hollow spaces inside bones and is a key organ that produces most of the body's blood cells.Bone marrow edemaBone marrow edema is an MRI finding in which the marrow inside a bone appears to contain more fluid.Bone mineral densityBone mineral density measures how densely minerals (mainly calcium) are packed into bone and is a key indicator of bone strength.Bone mineral density changes during lactationA temporary decrease in bone mineral density during breastfeeding is a natural process.Bone remodelingBone remodeling is a lifelong process in which old bone tissue is removed and replaced with new bone.Bone scintigraphyA bone scan is a nuclear medicine test in which a radiopharmaceutical that accumulates readily in bone is injected, and a camera records gamma rays emittedBone stress injury continuumBone stress injuries occur when repeated loading of the same area causes fatigue to accumulate in a bone.BonesettingBonesetting is a long-standing manual tradition of using the hands to return bones and joints thought to be out of place to their proper positions.BOSU Balance TrainerA BOSU is a balance training tool with a soft, hemispherical dome on one side and a flat platform on the other.Bouchard nodesBouchard nodes are hard, bony enlargements around the middle joints of the fingers.Bowen TechniqueThe Bowen technique is an Australian hands-on technique in which the practitioner makes gentle rolling movements with the fingers over muscles and tendons,Bowling injuriesAfter a long bowling session, the fingers and wrist of your bowling hand, your elbow and shoulder, and the knee on your sliding side and your lower back maBoxer's fractureA boxer's fracture is a break in the neck of the bone on the little-finger side of the back of the hand (the fifth metacarpal), caused by punching a hard oBoxer's knuckleBoxer's knuckle is an injury to the sagittal band over the joint at the base of a finger (the knuckle), caused by repeated punching with a clenched fist.Brachial plexusThe brachial plexus is a network of nerves from the neck that divide and merge between the lower neck and the armpit, forming the major nerves that travel BrachialisThe brachialis is an elbow-bending muscle hidden just beneath the biceps brachii at the front of the upper arm.BrachioradialisThe brachioradialis is a long muscle along the outer side of the forearm that bends the elbow.Brachioradialis muscleThe brachioradialis is a long muscle that runs from the outer elbow down the thumb side of the forearm and helps bend the elbow.BrachydactylyBrachydactyly is the medical term for fingers or toes that are short relative to body proportions from birth.Bracing for scoliosisBracing involves wearing a custom-fitted brace around the torso to keep scoliosis from worsening in growing adolescents.BradykininBradykinin is a very small substance made from proteins in the blood when tissue is injured or becomes inflamed.Brain changes in chronic painWhen pain persists, changes are observed in the activity and structure of brain regions that process pain.BrainstemThe brainstem is a stalk-shaped region connecting the brain and spinal cord.Braxton Hicks contractionsBraxton Hicks contractions are irregular episodes of uterine tightening and relaxation that occur long before birth is near.Breaststroker's kneeBreaststroker's knee is a swimming injury in which the inner side of the knee becomes painful after prolonged, repetitive breaststroke kicking.BreathingBreathing is the process of inhaling and exhaling air to supply the body with oxygen and remove carbon dioxide.Breathing and core stabilityThe diaphragm is both a breathing muscle and a muscle that stabilizes the trunk.Breathing pattern disorderBreathing pattern disorder refers to a disrupted way of breathing that causes recurring feelings of difficulty breathing, frequent sighing, dizziness, and Breathing retrainingBreathing retraining is an umbrella term for practices that involve consciously relearning the rate, depth, and rhythm of breathing, as well as which partsBreathing techniques during exerciseBreathing techniques during exercise are ways of deciding when to breathe in and out during a movement.Brian MulliganBrian Mulligan is a New Zealand physical therapist who developed the Mulligan Concept, in which the patient moves actively while the practitioner maintainsBrief Pain InventoryThe Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) is a short questionnaire that asks both how intense pain is and how much it interferes with daily life.Brinjikji 2015 systematic review of spinal imaging findings in asymptomatic populationsThe Brinjikji 2015 study is a systematic review that compiled spinal imaging from 3,110 people without back or neck pain and organized the findings by age.Brodie abscessBrodie abscess is a form of subacute osteomyelitis in which a small collection of pus forms inside a bone.BruxismBruxism is a habit in which the muscles of mastication that move the jaw repeatedly work more than necessary, as in grinding or tightly clenching the teethBunionetteA bunionette is a deformity in which the bone at the base of the little toe protrudes outward on the side of the foot, and the little toe curves inward.Burning sensationA burning sensation is a feeling that your skin, hands, or feet are burning or hot, even though you have not touched anything hot.BursitisBursitis is a general term for swelling and pain in a bursa, a small sac that reduces friction between bone and the skin, tendons, or muscles.Buteyko methodThe Buteyko method is breathing training that helps you develop the habit of breathing quietly, slowly, and lightly through your nose.