Dr. Scott F. Gillman - Family & Sports Chiropractic

Glossary of Chiropractic &
Medical Terms

DEGENERATIVE JOINT DISEASE (DJD) - Also known as osteoarthritis, this type of arthritis is caused by inflammation, breakdown and eventual loss of the cartilage of the joints.

DEMINERALIZED BONE - Bone tissue which has been depleted of its minerals; e.g., calcium and phosphorous.

DENDRITE - A nerve cell process that transmits impulses toward the cell body.

DEPRESSED SKULL FRACTURE - A break in the bones of the head in which some bone is pushed inward, possibly pushing on or cutting into the brain.

DESCRIPTIVE STUDY: A prospective study investigating the response of a series of patients to a given treatment according to methods carefully worked out in advance. Unlike the randomized controlled trial (RCT), the descriptive study does not compare itself to a control group or to a placebo-treated group.

DHEA - An androgenic steroid produced by the adrenal cortex believed to have an anti-aging effect; recently manufactured synthetically as a dietary supplement.

DIABETES INSIPIDUS - Excretion of large amounts of urine of low specific gravity. The inability to concentrate urine.

DIFFUSE AXONAL INJURY - Damage to the axons of many nerve cells that lie in different parts of the brain. Boxers are prone to this.

DIFFUSE BRAIN INJURY - Damage to the brain that can affect many parts of the brain, often in a subtle fashion; examples include diffused axonal injury and inadequate blood flow.

DIPHENYLHYDANTOIN - Dilantin; a medication used to control seizures.

DIPLOPIA - Double vision usually due to weakness or paralysis of one or more of the extraocular muscles.

DISABILITY: A loss of function revealed by both the examination findings and the patient's report of restriction in activities of daily living: bending and lifting, sitting, standing, walking, etc. In economic terms, disability may be defined as the loss of earning capacity of the worker that results from an injury.

DISC - The intervertebral disc; fibrous-cartilaginous "cushion" found between the vertebrae of the spinal column. It may tear and extrude beyond the vertebral body and either chemically irritate or directly compress the nearby nerve root causing pain. The terms "slipped disc," "ruptured disc," "protruded disc" and "herniated disc" are often used interchangeably even though there are subtle differences.

DISC DEGENERATION - The loss of the structural and functional integrity of the disc. Disc degeneration can be caused by direct trauma, repetitive minor (micro) trauma, or imbalance of loading forces on the disc over time.

DISCECTOMY - Surgical removal of part or all of an intervertebral disc.

Discriminability: The property of information derived from a test or a measurement that allows one to recognize differences between two groups: i.e., healthy from unhealthy.

DISEASE - (Chiropractic Definition) The absence of health, a condition where the body has lost its ability to heal itself and is thereby susceptible to growth of organisms that are present in the body even in healthy situations. The word disease is a combination of dis and ease. Dis is a prefix meaning "apart from." It follows then that dis-ease is nothing more than a lack of harmony in a system. Medically, disease is defined only by pathology (see "pathology"). Chiropractors believe that instead of treating disease with chemicals and invasive procedures, whenever possible, first treat dis-ease with the reduction or elimination of joint malfunction and nerve interference, thereby giving the patient a chance to recover naturally before resorting to drugs and surgery.

DISTAL - Situated away from the center of the body; opposite of proximal.

DOPPLER - A noninvasive study which uses sound waves to show the flow in a blood vessel and can be used to determine the degree of narrowing (percent stenosis) of the vessel. A wand is placed on the skin over the vessel to be imaged. This study has no risks and is not painful.

DURA or DURA MATER - A tough fibrous membrane which covers the brain and spinal cord, but is separated from them by a small space.

DURAL - Pertaining to the dura.

DURATION OF CARE: The length of the treatment schedule (in days, weeks, or months) required to either correct the patient's condition or to achieve a level of maximum therapeutic benefit.

DYSESTHESIA - A condition in which an unpleasant or disagreeable sensation is produced by ordinary touch, temperature, or movement.

DYSPHASIA - Difficulty in the use of language due to a brain lesion without mental impairment.