What it means
A finding in which tissue stays tight instead of relaxing. Muscle rigidity is stiffness that resists movement of a joint, as in Parkinson diseasePAR-kin-sun dih-ZEEZA slowly worsening brain disease in which the nerve cells that help control movement die off.Full entry (where it can feel like a cogwheel catching) and some drug reactions. Abdominal rigidity is a belly wall that is hard and tense when pressed, sometimes called board-like, which can come with irritation of the lining of the abdomen.
For the nurse
A new, hard, board-like belly with severe pain needs to be reported at once. Describe where the stiffness is and whether it is constant.
At a glance
| Spanish | rigidez |
|---|
Related terms
Parkinson disease
A slowly worsening brain disease in which the nerve cells that help control movement die off.
tremor
Shaking of a part of the body, such as the hands, in small rhythmic movements that the person cannot control.
distention
Swelling or stretching of a body part from pressure inside it.