Proximal and distal

The terms proximal and distal are used to describe the position of body parts relative to each other. Proximal describes the position of a body part that lies more in the direction of the head. Distal describes the position of a body part that lies further away from it.

Example

The hand lies distal to the elbow. This means that the hand lies further from the head than the elbow. The elbow in turn lies proximal to the hand.

These terms are mainly used by (para-)medics, such as doctors and physiotherapists, to communicate more accurately about the location of an injury or problem. As a patient you do not necessarily have to be familiar with these terms, but it can help to understand a medical report better.