A plain language reference to the terms used across rehabilitation equipment, electrotherapy, gait training, assessment and funding. Written for clinicians, procurement teams and NDIS participants who need a quick definition without wading through a textbook. Each term links through to the relevant equipment where we stock it.
Jump to a section: Electrotherapy and stimulation · Gait and mobility · Assessment and measurement · Neurological rehabilitation · Cardio and conditioning · Treatment tables and clinical furniture · Funding, procurement and compliance
Electrotherapy and stimulation
TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation)
Surface electrical stimulation delivered through skin electrodes to modulate pain signals. TENS targets sensory nerves rather than producing a strong muscle contraction, and is used for symptom management rather than strengthening. See our TENS machines.
NMES (neuromuscular electrical stimulation)
Electrical stimulation set at an intensity that produces a visible muscle contraction, used for muscle re-education and strengthening where voluntary activation is limited. Commonly applied to the quadriceps after knee surgery. See our NMES machines.
FES (functional electrical stimulation)
NMES applied in time with a functional movement, so the stimulation assists an actual task such as cycling or foot clearance during walking. The distinction from NMES is the timing and the functional purpose, not the current itself.
iFES (integrated functional electrical stimulation)
FES built into an exercise system so stimulation and movement are controlled together, as in an FES cycle. Used widely in spinal cord injury and neurological rehabilitation. See our iFES therapy systems.
EMG biofeedback
Surface electrodes read the electrical activity a muscle produces and display it back to the patient in real time. Nothing is delivered into the body, it is a measurement and feedback tool used to teach activation and relaxation. See our EMG biofeedback units.
ETS (EMG triggered stimulation)
A hybrid mode where the device reads voluntary muscle activity and only delivers stimulation once the patient reaches a set threshold. This keeps the patient actively initiating the contraction rather than receiving it passively.
Interferential current (IFC)
Two medium frequency currents crossed within the tissue to produce a lower frequency effect at depth. Often chosen where deeper tissue is the target and skin comfort at higher intensities is a limiting factor.
Pulse width
How long each individual electrical pulse lasts, usually expressed in microseconds. Longer pulse widths recruit deeper fibres and generally feel stronger at the same amplitude.
Pulse frequency (rate)
How many pulses are delivered per second, expressed in hertz. Low frequencies feel like distinct taps, higher frequencies fuse into a smooth contraction or a buzzing sensation.
Duty cycle
The ratio of stimulation time to rest time in a treatment, written as on:off. It governs fatigue, so a strengthening protocol uses a very different duty cycle to a pain management one.
Electrodes
The conductive pads that carry current between the device and the skin. Size, placement and gel quality change the comfort and the effect more than most people expect, and worn electrodes are the most common cause of a device seeming to stop working. See our electrodes and accessories.
Gait and mobility
Gait training
Structured practice of walking to restore a safe and efficient pattern. It covers everything from early supported stepping through to speed and endurance work close to discharge.
Body weight support (BWS)
A harness system that offloads a portion of the patient's weight so they can practise walking earlier and with fewer staff. Support is usually expressed as a percentage of body weight removed. See our body weight support systems.
Body weight supported treadmill training (BWSTT)
Body weight support combined with a treadmill, so the patient gets high repetition stepping at a controlled speed. The treadmill sets the cadence rather than the patient having to generate it.
Anti-gravity treadmill
A treadmill using differential air pressure in a sealed chamber around the lower body to reduce effective body weight, typically down to around twenty per cent. Used where loading needs to be controlled precisely, such as return to running after lower limb surgery. See the AlterG.
Overground gait training
Walking practice on the floor rather than a treadmill, usually with an overhead rail or robotic system providing fall protection. It allows turning, obstacle negotiation and real world variability that a treadmill cannot reproduce. See ZeroG.
Robotic gait training
A powered exoskeleton or end effector device that guides the limbs through a walking pattern, allowing very high repetition counts with consistent quality. See Hocoma.
Exoskeleton
A wearable powered frame that supports and drives the limbs. In rehabilitation it is used for early standing and stepping in patients who cannot yet generate the movement themselves.
Cadence
Steps taken per minute. A simple and sensitive measure of gait quality that changes early in rehabilitation.
Step length and stride length
Step length is the distance between the heel strike of one foot and the heel strike of the other. Stride length covers two consecutive steps by the same foot. Asymmetry between left and right is often the first thing to address after stroke.
Spatiotemporal parameters
The measurable distance and timing characteristics of walking, including cadence, step length, stance time and double support time. Instrumented treadmills capture these automatically. See Motek C-Mill.
Parallel bars
Fixed rails that give a patient hand support on both sides during early standing and stepping. Height and width adjustment matters more than most specifications suggest, because a poorly fitted bar teaches a poor pattern. See our training parallel bars.
Standing frame
A device that brings a patient into supported standing, used to manage bone density, bowel function, tone and circulation in people who cannot stand independently. See our standing frames.
Dynamic standing
Supported standing combined with driven leg movement, so the patient gets the benefits of upright posture plus repetitive motion. See the Innowalk.
Assessment and measurement
Isokinetic testing
Strength testing at a fixed speed, where the machine varies resistance to hold the velocity constant through range. It gives repeatable torque curves, which is why it is the reference standard for return to sport decisions. See Isoforce.
Isometric testing
Strength measured with no joint movement, against a fixed resistance. Quick, safe early after injury, and easy to standardise.
Isotonic exercise
Movement against a constant external load, which is what conventional weight training is. Force output varies through range because leverage changes.
Dynamometry
Any objective measurement of force or torque using an instrument rather than a manual grade. It removes the tester variability that manual muscle testing carries.
Hand grip strength
Grip force measured with a hand dynamometer, used as a general marker of function and frailty as well as a specific hand measure. See our measuring devices.
Limb symmetry index (LSI)
The injured limb's output expressed as a percentage of the uninjured limb. Widely used in return to sport criteria, though it can flatter a patient whose uninjured side has also deconditioned.
Range of motion (ROM)
How far a joint moves, measured in degrees. Recorded as active range, which the patient produces, or passive range, which the clinician produces.
Goniometer
The hinged protractor used to measure joint angles. Still the everyday tool for range of motion despite digital alternatives.
Functional capacity evaluation
A structured battery assessing what a person can physically do, often for return to work or insurance purposes rather than clinical treatment planning.
VO2 max
The maximum rate of oxygen the body can use during exercise, the standard measure of aerobic capacity. Measured directly with gas analysis or estimated from submaximal protocols. See our fitness testing equipment.
Neurological rehabilitation
Neuroplasticity
The nervous system's capacity to reorganise in response to experience. It is the reason repetition, task specificity and intensity matter so much in neurological rehabilitation.
Motor learning
The process by which practice produces lasting change in movement capability. Retention and transfer matter more than performance during the session itself.
Task specific training
Practising the actual task the patient needs to recover rather than a component exercise. Walking practice to improve walking, reaching practice to improve reaching.
Hemiparesis and hemiplegia
Weakness on one side of the body, and complete paralysis on one side respectively. Most commonly a consequence of stroke.
Spasticity
Velocity dependent increase in muscle tone following upper motor neuron injury. The faster the limb is moved, the greater the resistance.
Muscle tone
The resting tension in a muscle. Described as hypertonic when raised and hypotonic when reduced, and both interfere with controlled movement.
Ataxia
Loss of coordination producing inaccurate, poorly timed movement, usually from cerebellar involvement. Strength can be normal while function is severely affected.
Proprioception
The sense of where the body is in space without looking. Impaired proprioception is a major contributor to instability and falls.
Constraint induced movement therapy (CIMT)
Restricting the unaffected limb to force use of the affected one, paired with intensive practice. Used mainly in upper limb stroke rehabilitation.
Spinal cord injury (SCI) level
The lowest spinal segment with normal function, recorded as complete or incomplete. It sets the realistic functional goals and largely determines which equipment is appropriate.
ASIA impairment scale
The international classification grading spinal cord injury severity from A, complete, through E, normal. Used to standardise how injury level and completeness are recorded.
Cardio and conditioning
Arm ergometer (upper body ergometer)
A crank based cardio machine driven by the arms, used where the lower limbs cannot be loaded. See our upper body trainers.
Active passive trainer
A motorised cycle that can drive the limbs when the patient cannot, then reduce assistance as voluntary effort returns. Used in neurological and aged care settings. See our active passive trainers.
Recumbent bike
A cycle with a seat and backrest that puts the rider in a supported reclined position. Preferred where balance, trunk control or joint loading rule out an upright bike. See our recumbent bikes.
Step through and accessible design
Equipment designed so a user can transfer on without stepping over a frame, including swivel seats and removable seats for wheelchair access. See our accessible cardio equipment.
MET (metabolic equivalent)
A unit expressing exercise intensity as a multiple of resting metabolic rate. One MET is sitting quietly, and prescriptions in cardiac rehabilitation are often written in METs.
RPE (rating of perceived exertion)
A patient reported scale of how hard the effort feels, usually the Borg 6 to 20 or the modified 0 to 10. Valuable where heart rate is unreliable, such as in patients on beta blockers.
Deconditioning
Loss of cardiovascular and muscular capacity from reduced activity, which happens faster in older and unwell patients than most people assume. Reversing it is often the first goal of a rehabilitation program.
Treatment tables and clinical furniture
Plinth
The standard treatment table used for assessment and hands on treatment. Section count, weight capacity and adjustment method are the specifications that matter. See our therapy tables.
Hi-lo table
A height adjustable treatment table, usually electric. Height adjustment is a manual handling control as much as a clinical convenience.
Bobath table
A wide, low, height adjustable plinth designed for neurological treatment where a patient needs to move around on the surface and a therapist needs to work from multiple positions. See our neuro Bobath tables.
Tilt table
A table that raises a patient from lying to standing in controlled increments, used for early upright tolerance and orthostatic conditioning. See our tilt tables.
Traction table
A treatment table with an integrated traction unit applying calibrated pull to the spine. See our traction tables.
Funding, procurement and compliance
NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme)
The Australian scheme funding supports for people with permanent and significant disability. Equipment is usually funded under assistive technology within a participant's plan. See our NDIS information.
Assistive technology (AT)
Any equipment or system that helps a person do something they otherwise could not do, or do it more safely. Under the NDIS, AT is grouped by complexity level, and the level determines what evidence is required.
AT assessment
The report from a qualified assessor recommending specific equipment, with the reasoning and any trial results. Higher complexity items need a more detailed assessment before funding is approved.
Capital supports
The NDIS budget category covering higher cost assistive technology and home modifications. Funds in this category cannot be moved to other categories.
Registered NDIS provider
A provider approved by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. Rehab Technology is a registered NDIS provider.
TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration)
The Australian regulator for therapeutic goods including medical devices. Devices making a therapeutic claim generally need to be included in the ARTG before they can be supplied in Australia.
ARTG (Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods)
The register of therapeutic goods approved for supply in Australia. Procurement teams routinely ask for the ARTG number as part of tender documentation.
IP rating
A two digit code describing how well an enclosure resists solids and liquids, such as IPX4. Relevant to equipment used in hydrotherapy areas or subject to frequent disinfection.
Capital expenditure (capex)
Spending on assets held over multiple years, which is how most rehabilitation equipment is treated. It typically follows a different approval path to operating expenditure, which is why lead times on large equipment are long.
Lead time
The period between order and delivery. For imported advanced technology it is measured in weeks to months, so it belongs in the project plan early rather than at handover.
Cannot find a term
If something is missing, tell us and we will add it. For advice on which equipment suits a specific clinical setting, talk to our team or request a quote.
