Chiropractic Terminology | M
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): This is a way of getting pictures of various parts of your body without the use of x-rays. An MRI scanner consists of a large and very strong magnet. These strong magnets along with radio waves are used to create an image of the internal structures of the body. This is the most useful technique in the investigation of spinal abnormalities.
Maintenance Care (a.k.a. Wellness Care): This type of chiropractic care goes beyond just spinal correction. Choosing wellness care and utilizing ongoing chiropractic care not only maintains your current stable state but can lead to even greater levels of health and performance.
Managed Care: This is a type of insurance that limits the patient’s choices when making health care decisions. These policies impose controls on the utilization of the type of health care services received and the specific providers that can offer an patient care.
Manipulation: A manipulation is referred to as an adjustment in the chiropractic profession. An adjustment is a gentle force introduced into the spine, typically by hand with the intent of releasing a vertebral segment from its abnormal motion and/or position.
Massage: This is the kneading of superficial and deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue to aid in the healing process and to promote relaxation and well-being.
Massage Therapy: A term used to describe various bodywork techniques.
Maximum Heart Rate: This is the highest number of times your heart can contract in one minute. This is the most useful tool to be used in determining training intensities, because it can be individually measured or predicted.
Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI): This is when your condition is not expected to improve significantly. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you are well, or totally fine. You may still have remaining impairments from your injury. It just means that your doctor doesn’t expect any further improvement at this point. It can also refer to a pre incident or accident state, usually ending an insurance company’s obligation to pay for continued treatment.
Medicare: This is a federal health insurance program administered by the United States government. Medicare provides insurance coverage to people who are aged 65 and over, permanently disabled and to certain dependents.
Meditation: A self-directed practice for relaxing the body and calming the mind.
Meric System: This system is based on the knowledge that the spinal nerves innervate the organs of the body. Through the autonomic nervous system these nerves control the functions of those organs. In the Meric system, certain joints of the spine are designated as the guardians of certain organs, visceral areas, and body structures.
Metabolism: The processes that the inner workings of the body perform to turn ingested food into energy the body can use.
Migraine: A migraine is a common type of severe headache that may occur with symptoms such as nausea, vomiting or sensitivity to light. In many people, a throbbing pain is felt only on one side of the head. Most experts believe the migraine attack begins in the brain and involves various nerve pathways and chemicals. The changes then restrict blood flow in the brain and surrounding tissues.
Mixer: A chiropractor that performs spinal adjustments and mixes into the treatment protocol physiologic therapeutics. This is opposite of a straight chiropractor that reduces the affects of vertebral subluxation by performing spinal adjustments only.
Mobilization: Method of manipulation, movement or stretching to increase range of motion in muscles and joints without performing a chiropractic adjustment.
Modalities: Many chiropractors use a variety of physiologic therapeutics to help treat their patients before or after a chiropractic adjustment. There are a variety of protocals that can help strengthen, relax and heal muscles. The treatments used may include hot or cold therapies, ultrasound, muscle stimulation or massage.
Moderate Intensity Physical Activity: To be classified as moderate intensity physical activity generally requires sustained, rhythmic movements of an intense enough level to elevate your heart rate to 50% - 70% of maximum.
Monounsaturated Fat: There are three types of fat in the foods we eat. They are monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acids. Monounsaturated fat is a healthy fat found in canola oil, olives and olive oil, nuts, seeds and avocados. Eating food that has more monounsaturated fat instead of saturated fat may help lower cholesterol and reduce heart disease risk. The caloric content is no different so it may even contribute to weight gain if eaten in excess.
Motion Palpation: The primary method chiropractors use to locate fixations and loss of mobility in the spine. By feeling the motion of specific spinal segments as the patient moves abnormal motion and position can be quickly identified.
Muscles: This is the tissue of the body which primarily functions as a source of power and movement. There are three types of muscle in the body. Muscle which is responsible for moving extremities and external areas of the body is called skeletal muscle. Heart muscle is called cardiac muscle. Muscle that is in the walls of arteries and bowel is called smooth muscle.
Muscle Spasm: This is an involuntary contraction of a muscle; and it is frequently painful.
Muscle Tension: A state where the muscles are hypertonic. They have a rigid feel and are in a general state of contraction.
Musculoskeletal: This is a general term which is defined as relating to muscles and the skeleton. Thus, the musculoskeletal system involves the muscles, bones, joints, bursa, ligaments and tendons.
Myofascial Pain: This is a chronic local or regional musculoskeletal pain disorder that may involve either a single muscle or muscle group. The pain may be of a burning, stabbing, aching or nagging quality. Importantly, where the patient experiences the pain may not be where the pain generator is located. This is known as referred pain. The referred pain is usually caused by trigger points or hard nodules in muscle tissue.
Myofascial Release: This is a type of soft tissue massage which incorporates stretching and kneeding of the connective tissues or fascia. Myofascial release operates on the principle that many people hold stress in their muscles, which causes them to seize or lock. This is exacerbated by muscle injury and scarring. Myofascial release aims to access these areas of blockage and tension to release them, thereby freeing up the muscle and allowing it to move easily and effectively.
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