CLIENT: It hurts when I do this!
MASSAGE THERAPIST: Then don’t do it!
| A-D | E-I | M-N | P-V |

Edema - insufficient venous blood and lymph drainage will cause an accumulation of fluid in the subcutaneous tissue and skin.

Electrical Theory - the body continually generates tiny but detectable electrical discharges.

Fascial Plane Dysfunction - where fascia is distorted and binds to itself and nearby tissues.

Fibrositic Nodules - are actual round lumps felt in the muscles on palpation. These are commonest in the shoulder and neck areas and the lumbar area.
Gate Control Theory of Pain - pain signals that pass through a number of high-traffic "gates" as they move from the area of injury upward through the spinal cord into the brain.

Golgi Tendon Organ - described in most anatomy, physiology and massage textbooks as a protective mechanism that prevents over stretching of muscles.

Hyperalgesia - a condition in which light pressure causes severe pain. This is also a clinical sign of neurological abnormalities in the skin.

Hyperaestesia - a condition in which a quick but light stroke over the skin surface is felt as a sharp pain. This is a clinical sign of neurological abnormalities in the skin.

Hyperemia - an excess of blood in an area or body part; usually indicated by red, flushed color or heat in the area.

Hyperesthesia - Increased sensitivity to stimulation, excluding the special senses.

Hyperpathia - A painful syndrome characterized by an abnormally painful reaction to a stimulus, especially a repetitive stimulus, as well as an increased threshold.

Hypertonus - areas of increased tension in the skeletal muscle. In large muscles, the hypertonus usually involves several muscular bundles, but small muscles can be affected entirely.

Hypoalgesia - Diminished pain in response to a normally painful stimulus.

Hypoesthesia - Decreased sensitivity to stimulation, excluding the special senses.

Ischemia - local and temporary decrease in blood flow to an area.