Contraindications refer to which concept?

• A. Indications
• B. Conditions suggesting a technique should not be used
• C. Gate Control Theory
• D. Rewarming

Answer: (B)

Contraindications are conditions or factors that indicate a therapy should not be used because applying it could cause harm. They help determine when a modality is unsafe or inappropriate for a patient, and they can be absolute (never use) or relative (use with caution or modify). This is different from indications, which are the reasons a therapy would be beneficial and appropriate to apply. The other options don’t capture this safety-focused idea: indications describe when a therapy is warranted; Gate Control Theory is about how pain signals are modulated, not about when to avoid a treatment; rewarming is a specific technique, not the concept of avoiding treatment. So contraindications are exactly about conditions suggesting a technique should not be used.