Medical Term Definition
Treatment
An intervention or combination of interventions used to prevent, control, cure, or relieve a disease, condition, symptom, or other health problem.
Treatment can include medicines, surgery, radiation therapy, physical therapy, behavioral interventions, dietary measures, devices, or other approaches. The appropriate treatment depends on the condition, its cause and severity, and the individual circumstances.
Treatment does not always mean cure; some treatments control disease, prevent complications, slow progression, or relieve symptoms.
QUICK FACT
Treatment and cure are not synonymous. A treatment may manage a chronic condition without eliminating it.
COMMONLY CONFUSED WITH
Prevention: interventions intended to reduce the likelihood of disease or injury before it occurs.
SEE ALSO
Clinical & Educational Context
Discussed in Health Articles & Guides
Explore how "Treatment" is covered across our evidence-based editorial guides:
6 Articles
Unstraight Lines
About This Reflection Kill Me a Little, Kill It More explores the uneasy bargain at the heart of some treatments: accepting the possibility of...
Medicine without Jargon
Even so, position should be viewed as a supportive measure rather than a treatment for serious obstetric complications.
The Hard Parts of Medicine
Someone with a confirmed deficiency needs appropriate treatment.
Unstraight Lines
One pain asks to be treated,
the other teaches the sufferer
to be ashamed of needing treatment.
The Hard Parts of Medicine
Polypharmacy, the use of multiple medicines by one person is becoming increasingly common as people live longer and more people receive treatment for multiple...
Cases & Narratives
This time, however, the malaria parasite had been confirmed in his blood, and he began treatment as expected.
