ADINA RĂDULESCU

E NGLISH IN K INETOTHERAPY
INETOTHERAPY.

A PRACTICAL E NGLISH HANDBOOK 

Editura Fundaţiei România de Mâine

2004
6  ADINA RĂDULESCU
6  ADINA RĂDULESCU
  English in Kinetotherapy. A practical English handbook  7

CONTENTS
CUVÂNT ÎNAINTE

UNIT 1
THE MAIN PARTS OF THE BODY
IMPE
IMPERA
RATI
TIVE
VE SENT
SENTEN
ENCE
CESS USED
USED IN RELA
RELAXA
XATI
TION
ON TRAI
TRAINI
NING
NG
TECHNIQUES
PREPOSITIONS

UNIT 2
THE SKELETAL SYSTEM
INTERROGATIVE
INTERROGATIVE PRONOUNS AND ADVERBS USED BEFORE THE
VERB TO BE
ASKING QUESTIONS

UNIT 3
THE MUSCULAR SYSTEM
ADJECTIVES – BASIC KNOWLEDGE
DESCRIBING A CERTAIN MUSCLE

UNIT 4
EXAMINING THE PACIENT
POLYSEMANTIC WORDS
THERAPIST-PATIENT DISCOURSE – GREETINGS, IDENTIFICATION
AND INTRODUCTORY DIALOGUES

UNIT 5
TYPES OF INJURIES
PASSIVE MODAL CONSTRUCTIONS
PRESENT TENSE SIMPLE AND PRESENT PERFECT
THERAPIST-PATIENT
THERAPIST-PATIENT DISCOURSE – PATIENT`S SYMPTOMS AND
COMPLAINTS
FORMAL AND INFORMAL MEDICAL TERMS
8  ADINA RĂDULESCU

UNIT 6
THERAPEUTIC EXERCISES
WORD FORMATION – DERIVATION
THERAPIST-PATIENT DISCOURSE – RECOMMENDING DIFFERENT
THERAPEUTIC EXERCISES

UNIT 7
THERAPEUTIC PROCEDURES IN HANDLING THE PATIENT
PASSIVE VERBAL CONSTRUCTIONS
THERAPIST-PATIENT DISCOURSE – POSITIONING AND HANDLING
THE PATIENT

UNIT 8
MUSCULOSKELETAL AND CONNECTIVE TISSUE DISORDERS
PRONOUNCING TONGUE-TWISTERS
DESCRIBING SYMPTOMS AND RECOMMENDING THERAPEUTIC
EXERCISES

UNIT 9
POSTURAL PROBLEMS
CONDITIONAL CLAUSES
THERAPIST-PATIENT DISCOURSE – IMPROVING
COMMUNICATION

UNIT 10
REVISION EXERCISES

BIBLIOGRAPHY

CUVÂNT ÎNAINTE
  English in Kinetotherapy. A practical English handbook  9

Specificul studierii limbilor străine în cadru

universitar este reprezentat de trecerea de la studierea
limbii străine la modul general la aprofundarea ei pe
diverse domenii de specialitate. În funcţie de
specializarea pentru care studenţii optează, ei vor
studia, în cazul nostru, engleza economică, juridică,
tehnică, medicală etc. Studiul limbilor străine aplic ate pe
un anumit domeniu de specialitate – în cazul nostru fiind vorba de
engleza în kinetoterapie , o ramură a englezei medicale  – 
presupune din partea studenţilor un nivel mediu de
cunoştiinţe de limba engleză, stăpânirea unor tehnici de
muncă individuală şi, de asemenea, a unui nivel mediu
de cunoştiinţe generale pe domeniul respectiv de
specialitate.
Manualul de faţă se adresează studenţilor secţiei
de Kinetoterapie, din cadrul Facultăţii de Educaţie Fizică
şi Sport a Universităţii Spiru Haret Bucureşti, atât anului
I cât şi anului II de studiu. El răspunde unei nevoi reale –
aceea de a avea un instrument practic de lucru pentru
desfăşurarea activităţii de seminar.
Conştientizarea avantajelor pe care le presupune
stăpânirea unui limbaj de specialitate într-o limbă
străină, dintre care amintim: posibilitatea consultării
unei bibliografii de specialitate în limba respectivă,
participarea studenţilor la conferinţe internaţionale,
publicarea unor materiale în revistele de specialitate şi,
poate cel mai important, posibilitatea de a lucra într-o
clinică sau cabinet de profil cu personal şi clienţi străini
fie în România fie peste hotare – a constituit motivaţia
principală  pentru menţinerea interesului studenţilor faţă
de această disciplină de studiu şi pentru obţinerea unui
certificat de competenţă lingvistică pe specialitatea
engleză medicală, eliberat în cadrul Centrului de Limbi
Străine al Universităţii Spiru Haret.
10  ADINA RĂDULESCU

Manualul este structurat pe 10 capitole (Units), axându-se pe

trei componente principale: 1) un corpus de texte de specialitate,
care-şi asociază diverse exerciţii de vocabular, traduceri
de text şi exerciţii de redare selectivă a informaţiei
prezentate; 2) o selecţie a unor  probleme de gramatică a
limbii engleze, efectuată în funcţie de criteriul
frecvenţei anumitor structuri gramaticale în limbajul
medical şi 3) un set de „discursuri” kinetoterapeut-pacient ,
axate pe tematica fiecărui capitol, având ca scop
familiarizarea studenţilor cu utilizarea unui limbaj oral,
informal, care completează lim bajul formal în care sunt redate
textele de specialitate. Selectarea acestor texte din diverse materiale – 
atlase de anatomie, cursuri de kinetoterapie, etc a avut ca
intenţie creearea unui cadru „profesionist” de lucru,
precum şi stimularea interesului studenţilor pentru
consultarea unor materiale de specialitate în limba
engleză. Şi, nu în ultimul rând, exerciţiile de la fiecare
sfârşit de Unit – “create your own dialogues”, “ consider
yourself as a kinetotherapist” etc. testează capacitatea
studenţilor de a se exprima liber şi firesc în limbajul de
specialitate asimilat, într-un context socio-
profesional artificial creat în sala de seminar, prin ceea
ce în metodica limbii engleze se numeşte “Role playing”.
Cu speranţa şi dorinţa că acest manual va răspunde
nevoii practice a studenţilor de a aprofunda limba
engleză pentru o viitoare practică kinetoterapeutică ,
constituind în acelaşi timp un stimulent pentru o
perfecţionare permanentă, prin consultarea unei
bibliografii actualizate în limba engleză, închei prin a le
mulţumi studenţilor din primele generaţii cu care am
lucrat pentru ajutorul  pe care mi l-au acordat, prin simpla lor
participare activă la seminariile de limba engleză, în
conturarea suportului teoretic şi practic al acestui
manual.
  English in Kinetotherapy. A practical English handbook  11

Autoarea

UNIT I
THE MAIN PARTS OF THE BODY
IMPERATIVE SENTENCES USED IN RELAXATION
TRAINING TECHNIQUES
PREPOSITIONS

1. Read the following texts containing relaxation techniques and

write down the new words:

“Trainer’s introduction: ‘This relaxation procedure is one that has

 been practised for many years now. It has been studied by researchers
and found to be effective. You will feel very relaxed and calm as a
result. It is not the same as hypnosis and you will not lose
consciousness at any point.’
The procedures: ‘Make yourself as comfortable as you can… become
aware of the surface underneath you… let your body settle into it…
notice how it supports you… notice the points of contact between you
and the floor: your head… shoulders… spine… ribs… hips… heels…
elbows… forearms and hands… feel your body sinking into the
surface you are lying on… feel your body getting heavier as the
tension ebbs away… feel at peace…. Take one good breath and as you
let it out, feel it carrying all your tensions away… then let your 
 breathing settle into a gentle rhythm…’
‘As you lie or sit, reflect on the idea that you are going to give the
next half-hour to yourself. No telephone can ring for you; no doorbell
disturb you; no one will call your name. You may hear sounds around
you: voices, horns, sirens, bangs and revs… think of them as being
outside your world. With these thoughts in mind, draw an imaginary
circle around yourself, about three feet from the centre. Create an
imaginary bubble… think of the interior as  your  space… your own
 private space. Feel how safe it is… safe to get in touch with yourself.
Turn your thoughts inward.’
12  ADINA RĂDULESCU

Trainer’s termination of the procedure : ‘I am going to bring this

relaxation sesssion to an end… I’d like you gradually to become
aware of the room… feel the floor/chair underneath you … open your 
eyes… give your limbs a few gentle stretches… have the feeling that
you are alert and ready to carry on with your life…’
‘With your eyes open, raise your eyebrows… feel the tension… and
release the tension… frown… feel the tension… and release it… shut
your eyes tightly… feel the tension… and let it go… with your eyes
still closed, spend a few minutes releasing tension in this part of your 
face…
Close the jaws firmly, noticing the sensations you get from the
action… hold it… and… discontinue… let your jaw drop… feel the
tension leaving you… and continuing to leave you… then repeat the
action…. Next, bare your teeth… feel the tension in the cheeks… hold
it for a few seconds… and release the tension…. Make a tight ‘O’
with your lips… hold it, while you register tension in the lips… and
cancel the action….
Press your tongue against your teeth… feel the pressure and release
it… Now pull the tongue back towards the throat. Feel the muscles
drawing it back and note the sensations you get from this action…
and… release it… ”
(R. A. Payne –   Relaxation Techniques)

2. Read the text again, select the words that designate: a) parts of 
the body, b)verbal constructions expressing commands and c)
 prepositions or other words indicating direction and place them in
three different columns.

3. Using the vocabulary practice below write the Romanian

equivalents for the terms indicating parts of the body.

♣ VOCABULARY PRACTICE
4. Pronounce and learn the names of the main parts of the human
body. For some notions two alternative terms have been provided:
  English in Kinetotherapy. A practical English handbook  13

The head:
- eyes, eyelids (pleoape), eyelashes (gene), eyebrows (sprâncene);
- nose, nostrils (nări);
- ears, ear lobe;
- mouth, lips (buze), gum (gingie), to oth - teeth,
tongue (limbă), jaw (falcă), upper jaw
/maxilla (maxilar), under jaw (mandibulă);
- forehead (frunte), cheek (obraz), cheek
bone (os maxilar), chin (bărbie), dimple
(gropiţă în obraz), dimple in the chin
/fossette (gropiţă în bărbie).

The neck:
- throat;
- Adam’s apple/thyroid cartilage;
- hollow of the throat (scobitura gâtului);
- nape of the neck (ceafa).

The body:
- shoulder, shoulder blade/scapula (omoplat);
- limb (membru), arm/upper limb (braţ), armpit/axilla
(subsuoară), forearm (antebraţ), hand, elbow (cot),
crook of the arm (îndoitura braţului), palm, wrist/carpus
(încheietura mâinii), fist (pumn), fingers – thumb
(degetul mare), forefinger (deget arătător), middle
finger, ring finger (deget inelar), little finger, finger tip
(vârful degetului), finger pad (perniţa degetului),
fingernail (unghie), knuckle (articulaţia degetului);
- biceps, thorax/chest (torace), breast
(piept), nipple (mamelon), abdomen,
stomach, waist (talie), navel/umbilicus
(buric), bottom (şezut), buttocks (fes e);
- hip (şold), leg, thigh (coapsă), calf 
14  ADINA RĂDULESCU

(gambă), shin/cannon bone (fluierul

piciorului, tibia), knee (genunchi), knee cap
(rotulă), ankle (gleznă), instep (scobitura
gleznei), sole (talpă), heel/calcaneus
(călcâi), toes (degete de la picioare).

5. Choose the right word that best completes the sentence:

1. I can’t move my left hand; I have problems with my ………...
a) fingers b) armpit c) wrist d) fists
2. It is not polite to talk to somebody when you have your 
………. in your pockets.
a) fingers b) hands c) palms d) arms
3. He has had this nasty habit of biting his ………. ever since he
was a kid.
a) tongue b) toes c) fingers d) nails
4. This old lady can’t hear you very well; she has got an ………
infection.
a) ear b) throat c) tooth d) eye
5. He fell and hurt his ……… really bad, as he was not wearing
his knee-pads when roller skating.
a) ankles b) legs c) knees d) toes
6. The underside both of a foot and a shoe is called a …………..
a) heel b) sole c) shin d) toe
7. I ate an icecream yesterday and now I have a sore
…………….
a) neck b) eye c) jaw d) throat
8. You should not drink so much coffee on an empty
……………..
a) stomach b) waist c) abdomen d) throat
9. Nobody is perfect and carelessness is his Achilles’………...
a) toe b) arm c) heel d) head
10. He is walking on the tips of his ………… so as not to awake
the baby.
a) feet b) toes c) fingers d) sole
  English in Kinetotherapy. A practical English handbook  15

6. Match up the following words with their definitions:

1. wrist a. the thick, fleshy part of the back of the

leg, between the ankle and the knee
2. forehead b. large muscle at the front of the upper 
arm, which bends the elbow
3. hip c. the small depression beneath the arm
where it joins the shoulder 
4. tongue d. a thin, horny, translucent plate covering
 part of the dorsal surface of the end joint
of each finger 
5. calf e. the part of the face between the natural
hairline and the eyes; formed skeletally by
the frontal bone of the skull
6. armpit f. part on either side of the body below the
waist where the bone of a person’s leg is
 joined to the trunk 
7. nostril g. the joint between the forearm and the
hand
8. thigh h. the back part of the human foot from
the instep to the lower part of the ankle
9. fingernail i. part of the body below de chest and
diaphragm, containing the stomach,
 bowels and digestive organs
10. heel j. organ of taste that aids the mastication
and swallowing of food.
11. abdomen k. either of the two external openings of 
the nose
12. biceps l. part of the human leg between the knee
and the hip

♣ VOCABULARY PRACTICE
16  ADINA RĂDULESCU

Here is a list of the most commonly used prepositions of place and

 position:

above = deasupra, de deasupra, mai sus de

across/along = de-a lungul, transversal
around/round = de jur împrejurul
below = dedesubt, sub (fără a indica contact cu
suprafaţa superioară)
beneath/underneath = dedesubt, sub (indi când existenţa unei
suprafeţe superioare de protecţie, separare)
between = între (două obiecte)
behind = în spatele, înapoia
in front of = în faţa
in = în, în interiorul
into = în,   înspre interior (indicând pătrunderea,
străbaterea spaţiului)
on = pe, deasupra
onto = pe, deasupra (indicând mişcare pentru atingerea
poziţiei)
over = peste, deasupra
through = prin, printre
under = dedesubt, sub (indicând contact cu suprafaţa
superioară)

Other words indicating movement and direction:

-WARDS class (wards = spre, către, indicând direcţia)
Backward (s) = înapoi, invers, pe spate
Downward (s) = descendent, spre partea inferioară
Forward (s) = înainte, în faţă
Inward (s) = înăuntru, către interior
Leftward (s) = către stânga, dinspre stânga
Outward (s) = către/spre exterior, în afară
Towards = spre, către, în direcţia
Upright = drept, vertical
  English in Kinetotherapy. A practical English handbook  17

Upward (s) = ascendent, spre partea superioară

Sideways = lateral, oblic, într-o parte

►◄Pair work 
7. Read the following commands to your deskmate and ask 
him/her to follow your indications and practise the exercises.
Then, change activities:

• Place your hands around   your ankles.

• Rest your elbows on your thighs.
• Place your fingertips on your shoulder.
• Bend your body  sideway s and give it a good stretch.
• Lift your arms above your head.
• Spread your arms  sideways and lower them to your sides.
• Clasp both hands behind your head.
• Arch your body backwards.
• Stretch your arms upwards.
• Bend your knees  forwards.
• Hold your head  forward and up.
• Raise your arms above your head and turn the palms toward   s the
ceiling.
• Lean your forearms vertically on the wall. With your heels on the
 ground and your knees straight, let your hips sink  forwards.
8. Read the following sentences and translate them into
Romanian:

• Without moving your head, turn your eyes upwards behind your 
closed lids.
• Roll your eyes in a clockwise circle… Now notice the sensations of 
tension…. Pause… Roll them now in an anticlockwise direction.
• Place your palm downwards on a surface (table, chair arm or thigh);
 press your fingertips into the surface, drawing them towards your 
 palm so that your hand gradually takes on the shape of a spider…
Hold the position, feel the tension in the hand and then let the tension
18  ADINA RĂDULESCU

go and relax the muscles.

• Keeping your toes firmly in contact with the floor, raise your heels
up in the air… Now feel the tension in your calf muscles… Relax…
drop your heels to the ground and notice the relief, the comfort, the
warm tingling sensation in your calves.

9. Create your own relaxation techniques; write down five

examples of such exercises and then read them to your deskmates.

10. Translate into English, using the new words:

1. Plasaţi-vă ambele mâini pe umeri. Rotiţi-vă trunchiul
alternativ la stânga apoi la dreapta.
2. Staţi în poziţie depărtată, cu mâinile pe lângă corp.
Ridicaţi mâna dreaptă şi îndoiţi corpul spre stânga.
Reveniţi în poziţia iniţială. Apoi ridicaţi mâna stângă şi
 îndoiţi corpul spre dreapta. Repetaţi mişcarea de cinci
ori.
3. Îndoiţi-vă uşor trunchiul în faţă. Atingeţi-vă
genunchii, apoi gambele, apoi gleznele şi dacă puteţi
chiar şi degetele de la picioare.
4.Stând pe un scaun, plasaţi-vă ambele coate pe
coapse, întindeţi-vă antebraţele şi mişcaţi-vă degetele.
5. Închideţi ochii, ridicaţi mâinile deasupra capului şi
arcuiţi-vă uşor trunchiul pe spate. Staţi în poziţie 10
secunde şi apoi reveniţi în poziţia iniţială.
6. Plasaţi-vă ambele mâini pe şolduri. Îndoiţi-vă uşor
genunchii şi apoi rotiţi-vă corpul la stânga şi la dreapta.
Observaţi ce simţiţi la articulaţiile şoldului.
7. Întindeţi-vă braţele lateral. Apoi îndoiţi-le din coate
spre în faţă, la nivelul umărului. Repetaţi mişcarea de
câte ori doriţi.
8. Staţi ghemuiţi pe vârfurile picioarelor, cu capul
aplecat şi cu mâinile atârnând pe genunchi. Simţiţi cum
vi se relaxează muşchii gâtului. Menţineţi poziţia cât
  English in Kinetotherapy. A practical English handbook  19

doriţi.
9. Staţi cu picioarele depărtate şi cu mâinile pe şold.
Înclinaţi-vă spre dreapta, ridicând piciorul stâng.
Menţineţi poziţia pentru 5 secunde. Apoi repetaţi în
direcţia opusă.
10. Staţi cu picioarele depărtate şi cu mâinile întinse
lateral şi cu pumnii strânşi. Rotiţi-vă simultan braţele,
trasând un cerc mic în aer. Încercaţi rotirea braţelor în
ambele direcţii. Observaţi ce se întâmplă cu muşchii
braţelor şi pieptului.

UNIT 2
THE SKELETAL SYSTEM
INTERROGATIVE PRONOUNS AND ADVERBS USED
BEFORE THE VERB TO BE
ASKING QUESTIONS

1. Read the following texts and write down the new words:
20  ADINA RĂDULESCU

“The function of the bones is to form a hard skeleton for the softer 
materials of the body, to enclose and protect some of the most
important vital organs. Bone development takes place at a very early
 period. In embryonic life, the parts destined to become bones consist
of a congeries of cells which constitutes the simplest form of cartilage.
This temporary cartilage is an exact miniature of the bone which in
due course is to take its place. The process of ossification is slow and
not completed until adult life. The next step is the ossification of the
intercellular substance and of the cells composing the cartilage. The
 period of ossification varies much in different bones. It commences
first in the clavicle, in which the primitive point appears during the
fifth week; next in the lower jaw. The ribs also, and the long bones of 
the limbs, appear soon after. For a long period after birth, a thin layer 
of unossified cartilage remains between the diaphysis and epiphyses,
until their growth is finally completed.”
(Henry Gray –  Gray`s Anatomy. Descriptive and Surgical )

“Almost all the elements of the joints of adults are also present in the
  joints of the newborn. The most active factor determining the
formation of a joint after birth are the muscles which exert an action
on the given joint, i.e. the work of a joint.
The development of bone articulations is directly dependent on the
formation of the bony and connective-tissue structures and muscular 
tissue. All the elements encountered in the joints of the newborn
continue their formation and acquire the geometrical shapes of the
articular surfaces characteristic of each joint of an adult. ”
(R.D. Sinelnikov –  Atlas of Human Anatomy )

♣ VOCABULARY PRACTICE

2. Pronounce and learn the names of the main parts of the skeletal
system. Add more terms to the list:
  English in Kinetotherapy. A practical English handbook  21

The skeletal system:

- skull = craniu
- spine/spinal column/backbone = coloana
vertebrală
- vertebra, -ae /bony ring = vertebră
- spinal cord /marrow = măduva spinării
- the cervical, dorsal, lumbar, sacral and
coccygeal sections of the spine =
secţiunile cervicale, dorsale, lombare şi
coccigiene ale coloanei vertebrale
- rib = coastă
- cartilage = cartilaj
- sternum /breastbone = stern
- clavicle /collarbone = claviculă
- thoracic cage = cuşcă toracică
- shoulder girdle = centură scapulară
- scapula/ shoulder blade = omoplat,
scapulă
- pelvis = pelvis
- pubis = pubis
- sacrum = os sacral
- coccyx = coccis
- articulation /joint = articulaţie
- fibrous joint = articul aţie fibroasă
- synovial joint = articulaţie sinovială
- ossification = osificare
- ligament = ligament
- hip joint = articulaţia şoldului
- knee joint = articulaţia genunchiului
- ankle joint = articulaţia gleznei

3. Complete the following sentences using the nouns in the box.

The first one has been done for you as an example:
22  ADINA RĂDULESCU

sternum coccyx carpus calcaneus

scapula phalanges cranium joint
tibia metacarpus femur vertebrae

1. The spine is a flexuous column, formed of a series of bones called

 _ vertebrae_.
2. The  ____________  is composed of eight bones: the occipital, two
 parietal, frontal, two temporal, sphenoid, and ethmoid.
3. The  ____________ is a long, flat vertical bone, situated in front of 
the thorax to which are attached the collarbone and the first seven
 parts of ribs.
4. The  ____________  is the longest, thickest and heaviest bone in the
skeleton, articulating with the pelvis above and the knee below.
5. The  ____________  is the inner and thicker of the two bones of the
human leg, between the knee and ankle.
6. The  ____________  is a small triangular bone at the end of the
spinal column, articulating by its base with the apex of the sacrum.
7. The  ____________  is a large, flat bone, triangular in shape which
forms the back part of each shoulder.
8. The hand is subdivided into three segments: the  __________  or 
wrist, the ____________ or palm and the  ____________ or fingers.
9. The  ______________  or heel bone is the largest tarsal bone,
irregularly cuboidal in form and situated at the lower back part of the
foot.
10. The structures which enter the formation of a  ___________  are:
 bone, cartilage, fibro-cartilage, ligament and synovial membrane.

4. Match up the following words with their definitions:

1. breastbone a. Rings placed one above the other which

form a single column, the spinal column
2. ligament b. Triangular bone that forms the back of 
the pelvis
3. skull c. Twelve pairs of curved bones extending
  English in Kinetotherapy. A practical English handbook  23

from the backbone round the chest

4. vertebrae d. Narrow, bony and curved column – as a
cable for the spinal cord
5. clavicle e. Basin-shaped framework of bones at the
lower end of the body
6. spine f. Tough white flexible tissue attached to
 bones and joints
7. pelvis g. Though, flexible tissue that connects
 bones and holds organs in position
8. sacrum h. Thin, flat, vertical bone in the chest,
 between the ribs
9. cartilage i. Bone joining the breastbone and the
shoulder blade
10. ribs j. Bony framework of the head under the
skin

■ GRAMMAR 
INTERROGATIVE PRONOUNS AND ADVERBS USED
BEFORE THE VERB TO BE

When forming interrogative sentences with the verb TO BE the rule to

 be remember is to place the words in the following order:
WHAT
WHICH
WHERE + is (sg.) / are (pl.) – present + object
WHY + was (sg.) / were (pl.) – past + object
HOW
HOW MANY

WHAT –  is used to ask  somebody to specify one or more things,

 places, people, etc from an indefinite number:
What are the main causes of muscular weakness?
What is the shape of the spinal column?
WHICH - is used to ask  somebody to specify one or more things,
 people, etc from a limited number: