| physical education and training | Instructional programs in the care and development of the body, often in schools. The concept does not include prescribed exercises, which is exercise therapy. (12 Dec 1998) |
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| physical elasticity of muscle | <anatomy> The quality of muscle that enables it to yield to passive physical stretch. (05 Mar 2000) |
| physical endurance | The time span between the beginning of physical activity by an individual and the termination because of exhaustion. (12 Dec 1998) |
| physical examination | Systematic and thorough inspection of the patient for physical signs of disease or abnormality. (12 Dec 1998) |
| physical fitness | A state of well-being in which performance is optimal, often as a result of physical conditioning which may be prescribed for disease therapy. (12 Dec 1998) |
| physical half-life | The time required for half the atoms of a radionuclide to undergo disintegration. (05 Mar 2000) |
| physical map | <molecular biology> A map of the locations of identifiable landmarks on DNA (for example, restriction enzyme cutting site, genes), regardless of inheritance. Distance is measured in base pairs. For the human genome, the lowest-resolution physical map is the banding patterns on the 24 different chromosomes, the highest-resolution map wouldbe the complete nucleotide sequence of the chromosomes. (09 Oct 1997) |
| physical medicine | A medical specialty concerned with the use of physical agents, mechanical apparatus, and manipulation in rehabilitating physically diseased or injured patients. (12 Dec 1998) |
| physical sciences | The natural sciences dealing with inanimate matter or with energy, as physics, chemistry, astronomy. (12 Dec 1998) |
| physical sign | <clinical sign> A sign that is observed or elicited by auscultation, percussion, or palpation. (05 Mar 2000) |
| physical therapist | A physical therapist is a specialist trained using exercise and physical activities to condition muscles and improve level of activity. Physical therapy is helpful in those with physical debilitating illness (for example stroke). (27 Sep 1997) |
| diagnosis, physical | A diagnosis which is made by means of the physical examination of the patient. (27 Sep 1997) |
| acupuncture therapy | Treatment of disease by inserting needles along specific pathways or meridians. The placement varies with the disease being treated. Heat or moxibustion and acupressure may be used in conjunction. (12 Dec 1998) |
| adjuvant therapy | <oncology, pharmacology> Treatment that is added to increase the effectiveness of a primary treatment. In cancer, adjuvant treatment usually refers to chemotherapy, hormonal therapy or radiation therapy after surgery to increase the likelihood of killing all cancer cells. (14 May 1997) |
| alternative therapy | A term given to nonconventional therapy usually given by persons who do not have a medical qualification. (16 Dec 1997) |