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Death (mortality)-Occurs when both heartbeat and breathing have stopped.
Debility-A condition that reduces or hinders an athlete’s ability to perform his/her sport, but is not totally disabling.
Deep Friction-Massage techniques that utilize short, circular, or back and forth motions applied with the fingertip or thumb and using sufficient pressure to produce motion on the tissue beneath the skin; used to treat a specific small area and prevent adhesions.
Deep Transverse Friction-A friction massage technique applied in a direction across the length of the muscle fivers using heave pressure; used to break adhesions; a specific rehabilitation technique that creates therapeutic inflammation by creating a specific, controlled reinjury of tissues by applying concentrated therapeutic movement that moves the tissue against its grain over only a very small area.
Degeneration-A gradual breaking down (most commonly refers to a joint) due to daily wear and tear.
Degenerative-~ Degenerative Changes ~ Characterized by deterioration.
Degenerative Joint Disease-See Osteoarthritis.  
Dehydration-Loss of water from the body. Dehydration can significantly contribute to heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and eventually heat stroke.
Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)-It may occur 24-48 hours after a fatiguing bout of exercise. DOMS results from microfiber muscle tears causing actual muscle damage.
Dementia-Overall deficiency in memory storage, time and space orientation, language processing, problem solving and planning, and execution of voluntary movements.
Dementia-An organic mental disorder characterized by a general loss of intellectual abilities involving impairment of memory, judgment, and abstract thinking, as well as changes in personality.
Depressed Fracture-Broken portion of a bone is pushed inward (skull).
Depression-A mood disturbance characterized by feelings of sadness, despair, and discouragement resulting from and proportionate to some personal loss or tragedy.
Depth Of Pressure-Compressive stress that can be light, moderate, deep or varied.
Diabetes (Type II)-Non insulin-dependent diabetes, commonly known as Type II; a condition characterized by the body’s inability to produce enough insulin or to use it properly. This type of diabetes can be controlled without insulin injections through other medications, diet and weight management.  
Diabetes Mellitus (DM)-A group of diseases (Type I, Type II, and Gestational) in which the main abnormality is high blood sugar levels.

Diagnosis-Determination of the nature of a disease or injury.
Dialysis-An artificial means of removing waste products from the blood when the kidneys can no longer do so effectively. It filters waste products from the bloodstream and restores the blood' s normal constituents.
Diarrhea-Describes the frequent passing of unusually loose and runny bowel movements.
Diastolic-The lowest pressure in the arteries, which occurs when the heart is relaxed between beats. Represented in the bottom number in the fraction of a blood pressure reading.
Dietary Cholesterol-An invisible substance found only in foods of animal origin such as meats, eggs, and dairy products. Foods from plants, vegetables, and fruits do not have dietary cholesterol.
Dietary Fat (Fats)-A nutrient in food that supplies energy and is used by the body to make cell membranes and regulating chemicals. One gram of fat has 9 calories.
Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI)-Daily dietary recommendations for nutrients; DRI replaces Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA).
Diethylstilbesterol (DES)-A synthetic form of estrogen widely prescribed from 1940-1970 to prevent miscarriage. It was discontinued when its effectiveness was unsubstantiated. Later, DES was indicated in the causation of malformations of the reproductive organs in some whom were exposed in utero.
Digestive system-Breaks down food into absorbable substances and eliminates indigestible substances.
Digital Compression-A compression massage technique applied with the thumb or fingertips; used in various kinds of point work.
Digital Rectal Examination (DRE)-An examination of the rectum to detect rectal and prostate cancer. The clinician inserts a gloved, lubricated finger into the rectum and palpates (feels) for abnormal areas.
Dilation-Expansion of (e.g. dilation of blood vessels).
Direction Of Ease-The position the body assumes with postural changes and muscle shortening or weakening, depending on how it has balanced against gravity.
Direction to Massage-Limbs, Venous flow, toward the heart, distal to proximal.
Disability (morbidity)-Is a state of being disabled; a deprivation of ability; absence of competent physical, intellectual, or moral power.
Discharge-An excretion or substance evacuation from an open area of the body (e.g. nose, vagina, wound, rectum, etc.).
Dislocation-Disruption of a joint resulting in displacement of a bone from its normal position in the joint.
Distal-Remote; farther from a given point of reference. The opposite of proximal. (e.g. the fingers are distal to the elbow in relation to the shoulders, and the toes are distal to the knees in relation to the hips).
Dorsal-Pertaining to the back, or indicating a position more toward the back surface than some other object of reference. It is opposite of ventral and synonymous with posterior in reference to human anatomy. (e.g. the top surface of the foot or hand).
Dorsiflexion-Flexion of a body part at the joint toward the dorsum aspect of the body. For example, bending of the ankle upward decreases the angle between the top of the foot and front of the leg (shin). Plantarflexion is the opposite of dorsiflexion.
Down's syndrome-A genetic condition in which there are 3 copies of a chromosome instead of 2 on chromosome number 21; also known as Trisomy 21. Clinical features are both physical and mental, and they can range from mild to severe.
Drag-The amount of pull (stretch) on the tissue (tensile strength).
Draping-The procedure of covering and uncovering areas of the body and turning the client during the massage; for warmth boundaries and comfort.
Dual Relationship-Any relationship other than the primary one of practitioner and client.
Durable Hyperemia-Hyperemia that lasts for a long period of time; one of the goals in pre-event massage. Compression and broadening techniques are often used to induce durable hyperemia.
Duration-The amount of time the exercise is performed.
Dysfunction-An in-between state in which one is not healthy but also not sick. The state that a muscle, etc. is in when it is not functioning properly.