Physical disorder (as a medical term) is a poorly defined term typically used in contrast to a

mental disorder A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitti ...

or a

genetic disorder A genetic disorder is a health problem caused by one or more abnormalities in the genome. It can be caused by a mutation in a single gene (monogenic) or multiple genes (polygenic) or by a chromosomal abnormality. Although polygenic disorders ...

. The term

is heavily used in psychiatric medicine, and is defined in some psychiatric medicine texts, most notably the

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders The ''Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders'' (DSM; latest edition: DSM-5-TR, published in March 2022) is a publication by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) for the classification of mental disorders using a common langu ...

(DSM). However, the more generic term of medical disorder is poorly defined, and is not mentioned in the

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level o ...

International Classification of Diseases The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) is a globally used diagnostic tool for epidemiology, health management and clinical purposes. The ICD is maintained by the World Health Organization (WHO), which is the directing and coordinating ...

, nor many common medical textbooks. Attempts have been made to adopt a more universal definition, but there is no widely agreed upon definition. A physical disorder is not easily defined as the term "disorder" itself has not yet been defined by any authoritative medical body. The term "disorder" bears no special clinical relevance and could be used interchangeably with

disease A disease is a particular abnormal condition that negatively affects the structure or function of all or part of an organism, and that is not immediately due to any external injury. Diseases are often known to be medical conditions that a ...

. The use of the term disorder likely rests on historical precedent as well as the preference of the field. For example, it is common to find examples of diseases named disorders in psychiatry and genetics, such at autosomal dominant disorders but uncommon in cardiology. In general, diseases called disorders have a relatively well understood, narrow pathophysiology, such as

bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of Depression (mood), depression and periods of abnormally elevated Mood (psychology), mood that last from days to weeks each. If the elevat ...

, compared to something more generic, such as

heart disease Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels. CVD includes coronary artery diseases (CAD) such as angina and myocardial infarction (commonly known as a heart attack). Other CVDs include stroke, h ...

. Similarly, disorders are typically not acquired or the result of environmental factors, such as

lung disease The lungs are the primary organs of the respiratory system in humans and most other animals, including some snails and a small number of fish. In mammals and most other vertebrates, two lungs are located near the backbone on either side ...

. A disease or illness described as a physical disorder likely impacts the musculoskeletal system and lacks an inciting injury. Examples may include webbed toes, peau deficit disorder,

arthritis Arthritis is a term often used to mean any disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, swelling, and decreased range of motion of the affected joints. In som ...

, or

ataxia Ataxia is a neurological sign consisting of lack of voluntary coordination of muscle movements that can include gait abnormality, speech changes, and abnormalities in eye movements. Ataxia is a clinical manifestation indicating dysfunction of ...

, though the latter two may also reasonably be called an immune disorder and a neurological disorder, respectively. There is a greater interest in Chiropractic care as opposed to Physical Therapy, possibly alluding to a preference in musculoskeletal treatment from the general public. Google. (2006, May 11). Google trends, Physical Therapist Vs. Chiropractor. Retrieved November 14, 2022, from https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?geo=US&q=chiropractor,physical%20therapist

References

{{Reflist Medical terminology