Medical Mnemonics for Physical Therapy

Other articles you may be interested in: Shorthand Abbreviations article

Anatomy Mnemonics

Carpal Bones

Mnemonic: She Looks Too Pretty, Try To Catch Her (another option: Some Lovers Try Positions, That They Can’t Handle)

Word	Bone	Row
She	Scaphoid	Proximal
Looks	Lunate	Proximal
Too	Triquetrum	Proximal
Pretty	Pisiform	Proximal
Try	Trapezium	Distal
To	Trapezoid	Distal
Catch	Capitate	Distal
Her	Hamate	Distal

Clinical note: The scaphoid is the most commonly fractured carpal bone and is at high risk of avascular necrosis due to its tenuous blood supply. The pisiform is a sesamoid bone within the flexor carpi ulnaris tendon and the only carpal bone that doesn’t articulate with the radius.

Brachial Plexus Structure

Mnemonic: Real Texans Drink Cold Beer

Word	Level
Real	Roots (C5–T1)
Texans	Trunks (upper, middle, lower)
Drink	Divisions (anterior, posterior)
Cold	Cords (lateral, medial, posterior)
Beer	Branches (terminal nerves)

Clinical note: Knowing this sequence helps localize brachial plexus injuries. An Erb’s palsy affects the upper trunk (C5–C6) — classic “waiter’s tip” posture. Klumpke’s palsy involves the lower trunk (C8–T1) and presents with intrinsic hand weakness and possible Horner’s syndrome.

Brachial Plexus Terminal Branches

Mnemonic: My Aunt Really Makes Unique

Word	Nerve	Key Function
My	Musculocutaneous	Elbow flexion, forearm sensation
Aunt	Axillary	Shoulder abduction (deltoid), lateral arm sensation
Really	Radial	Wrist/finger extension; “Saturday night palsy”
Makes	Median	Thumb opposition, palmar sensation; carpal tunnel
Unique	Ulnar	Intrinsic hand muscles, ring/little finger sensation

Rotator Cuff Muscles

Mnemonic: SITS

Letter	Muscle	Primary Action
S	Supraspinatus	Initiates abduction (0–15°)
I	Infraspinatus	External rotation
T	Teres Minor	External rotation, adduction
S	Subscapularis	Internal rotation

Clinical note: Supraspinatus is the most commonly torn rotator cuff muscle. Subscapularis tears are often missed — test with the lift-off test (Gerber’s) or belly press. Infraspinatus and teres minor are assessed together with resisted external rotation; isolated teres minor tears are confirmed with Hornblower’s test.

Cranial Nerves — Names

Mnemonic: On Old Olympus Towering Tops, A Finn And German Viewed Some Hops

#	Word	Cranial Nerve
I	On	Olfactory
II	Old	Optic
III	Olympus	Oculomotor
IV	Towering	Trochlear
V	Tops	Trigeminal
VI	A	Abducens
VII	Finn	Facial
VIII	And	Auditory (Vestibulocochlear)
IX	German	Glossopharyngeal
X	Viewed	Vagus
XI	Some	Spinal Accessory
XII	Hops	Hypoglossal

Cranial Nerves — Sensory, Motor, or Both

Mnemonic: Some Say Marry Money But My Brother Says Big Brains Matter More

CN	Word	Type
I	Some	Sensory
II	Say	Sensory
III	Marry	Motor
IV	Money	Motor
V	But	Both
VI	My	Motor
VII	Brother	Both
VIII	Says	Sensory
IX	Big	Both
X	Brains	Both
XI	Matter	Motor
XII	More	Motor

Neurological Assessment Mnemonics

Key Nerve Root Levels

These aren’t always mnemonic-based, but the patterns below are the ones worth knowing cold for neurological screening and NPTE preparation.

Root	Reflex	Key Muscle	Sensation
C5	Biceps	Deltoid, biceps	Lateral arm
C6	Brachioradialis	Wrist extensors	Lateral forearm, thumb/index
C7	Triceps	Triceps, wrist flexors	Middle finger
C8	—	Finger flexors	Ring/little finger
L4	Patellar	Tibialis anterior	Medial lower leg
L5	—	EHL, peronei	Dorsum of foot
S1	Achilles	Gastrocnemius	Lateral foot

Quick rule: “C3, 4, 5 keeps the diaphragm alive” — a high cervical lesion at these levels can compromise respiratory function. Critical to flag in trauma or cervical cord injury.

Upper vs. Lower Motor Neuron Signs

Feature	UMN Lesion	LMN Lesion
Tone	Spasticity (increased)	Flaccidity (decreased)
Reflexes	Hyperreflexia	Hyporeflexia or absent
Babinski	Positive (extensor plantar)	Negative
Atrophy	Minimal (late)	Rapid, significant
Fasciculations	Absent	Present

Clinical note: UMN lesions occur at or above the anterior horn cell (brain, brainstem, spinal cord). LMN lesions occur at or below it (anterior horn cell, nerve root, peripheral nerve). ALS is notable for presenting with both UMN and LMN signs simultaneously.

Orthopaedic Conditions and Pathology

Salter-Harris Fracture Classification

Mnemonic: SALTR

Letter	Type	Description
S	Type I	Straight across the physis (Slipped)
A	Type II	Above the physis — fracture through metaphysis (most common)
L	Type III	Lower — fracture through epiphysis to physis
T	Type IV	Through everything — metaphysis, physis, and epiphysis
R	Type V	Rammed/Crushed — compression of the physis

Clinical note: Types III, IV, and V carry the highest risk of growth disturbance because they involve or compress the growth plate. Type II is the most common. Type V is often missed on initial X-ray and only diagnosed retrospectively when growth arrest appears.

Compartment Syndrome — The 5 Ps

Mnemonic: The 5 Ps

• Pain — disproportionate to injury; worsened by passive stretch of muscles in the compartment
• Pressure — tense, woody feel of the compartment on palpation
• Paresthesia — tingling or numbness from nerve ischemia
• Pallor — skin color change from vascular compromise
• Pulselessness — a late and ominous sign; do not wait for this to act

Clinical note: Pain with passive stretch is the earliest and most reliable sign. Pulselessness is a late finding — compartment syndrome is a surgical emergency and fasciotomy must not be delayed waiting for pulses to disappear. In rehab settings, report escalating limb pain post-fracture or casting immediately.

Glenohumeral Instability — TUBS vs. AMBRI

	TUBS	AMBRI
T / A	Traumatic onset	Atraumatic onset
U / M	Unilateral	Multidirectional
B / B	Bankart lesion (anterior labrum)	Bilateral laxity
S / R	Surgery often required	Rehabilitation is first-line
— / I	—	Inferior capsule shift if surgery needed

Clinical note: TUBS patients typically report a single traumatic dislocation event and have a discrete structural lesion. AMBRI patients often describe generalized hypermobility and instability in multiple directions without a clear mechanism of injury. The distinction drives treatment: AMBRI rehab focuses on rotator cuff and periscapular strengthening; surgery is rarely indicated unless rehab fails.

Clinical Protocols and Documentation

Acute Injury Management — The Evolution

The approach to acute soft tissue injury has shifted significantly over the past two decades. Knowing all three frameworks is useful for boards and clinical reasoning.

Protocol	Letters	Era
RICE	Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation	Traditional
POLICE	Protection, Optimal Loading, Ice, Compression, Elevation	2012 — replaced Rest with Optimal Loading
PEACE & LOVE	Protection, Elevation, Avoid anti-inflammatories, Compression, Education / Load, Optimism, Vascularization, Exercise	2019 — biopsychosocial framework

Key shift: Complete rest is no longer recommended. Early controlled loading accelerates tissue remodeling. PEACE & LOVE also explicitly discourages early NSAIDs and ice, which may blunt the inflammatory response needed for healing — a position that remains debated clinically.

SOAP Notes

Mnemonic: SOAP

Letter	Section	Content
S	Subjective	Patient-reported: symptoms, pain, activity limitations, goals
O	Objective	Measurable findings: ROM, strength, special tests, observation
A	Assessment	Clinical interpretation: diagnosis, progress, barriers
P	Plan	Interventions, HEP, referrals, next steps

Clinical note: SOAP is the most widely used documentation format in outpatient PT. The distinction between Subjective and Objective is critical for defensible documentation — what the patient tells you goes in S; what you measure or observe goes in O.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best mnemonic for the carpal bones?

The most widely used is She Looks Too Pretty, Try To Catch Her (Scaphoid, Lunate, Triquetrum, Pisiform, Trapezium, Trapezoid, Capitate, Hamate), read from proximal to distal, lateral to medial. Some programs use Some Lovers Try Positions That They Can’t Handle — same order, personal preference.

Are these mnemonics tested on the NPTE?

The NPTE doesn’t test mnemonics directly, but the content they cover — nerve roots, cranial nerve function, fracture classification, instability patterns, and documentation — is all fair game. Mnemonics are a study tool, not a substitute for understanding the clinical concepts behind them.

What’s the difference between TUBS and AMBRI?

TUBS describes traumatic, unilateral instability with a structural lesion (Bankart tear) that often requires surgery. AMBRI describes atraumatic, multidirectional, bilateral laxity that responds to rehabilitation. The distinction matters because treating an AMBRI patient surgically without a trial of rehab is generally considered inappropriate.

What replaced RICE for acute injury management?

POLICE (2012) replaced complete rest with optimal loading. PEACE & LOVE (2019) went further, adding a biopsychosocial layer and explicitly recommending against early ice and anti-inflammatory medications in the acute phase. RICE is still taught and still appears on older curricula, so it’s worth knowing all three.

How do I remember which cranial nerves are sensory, motor, or both?

Use Some Say Marry Money But My Brother Says Bad Business Marry Money — each word starts with S (Sensory), M (Motor), or B (Both), aligned to CN I through XII in order. CNs I, II, and VIII are purely sensory. CNs III, IV, VI, XI, and XII are purely motor. The rest (V, VII, IX, X) carry both.

What are the most important mnemonics to know for clinical placements?

For clinical placements, prioritize: SOAP (documentation), the 5 Ps of compartment syndrome (emergency recognition), SITS (rotator cuff), nerve root levels for neurological screening (C5–S1), and PEACE & LOVE (current evidence-based acute care). Brachial plexus and cranial nerve mnemonics are more relevant for neuro rotations and NPTE prep.