Diagnosing and treating some movement-related injuries and disorders can be difficult. Complex movement characteristics producing functional activity are difficult to observe visually or through standard diagnostic imaging.

Patterns of even the simplest functional activities, such as walking, are extremely complex. To provide a perspective - the human body has 206 bones connected to 640 skeletal muscles activated and controlled by thousands of motor and sensory nerves, all expected to move in intricate three dimensional patterns while maintaining stability under external forces and responding immediately to feedback from the eyes, ears and touch.

Clinical motion analysis measures functional performance to "see" what our eyes cannot.

Muscular System

The muscular system’s primary function is contractibility. Muscles are attached to bones or internal organs and blood vessels, responsible for movement. Nearly all movement in the body is the result of muscle contraction.

The interaction of joints, bones, and skeletal muscles produces obvious movements such as walking and running. Skeletal muscles also produce more subtle movements that result in various facial expressions, eye movements, and respiration.

Muscle contraction serves other important functions in the body, such as posture (sitting and standing) and joint stability. Our muscles are continually making fine adjustments to positionally hold the body. Tendons of many muscles extend over joints and contribute to joint stability. This is particularly true in the knee and shoulder joints, where muscle tendons are important in stabilizing the joint.

 

Skeletal System

The skeletal system consists of bones, cartilage, ligaments and tendons and accounts for about 20 percent of the body weight. We rely on our spine to provide structural support for our body.

The bones in our bodies use oxygen, consume nutrients, require a blood supply and change shape or remodel in response to variations in biomechanical stress.

In addition, bones provide a solid framework that support and protect the soft organs of the body.

The large bones of the lower limbs support us while standing.

Bones work together with muscles as simple mechanical lever systems to produce body movement.

Nervous System

The nervous system is the major controlling, regulatory, and communication system in the body. And the center of all mental activity such as thought, learning, and memory.

Like other systems in the body, the nervous system is composed of organs - the brain, spinal cord, nerves, and ganglia. These consist of various tissues, including nerve, blood, and connective tissue. Together they carry out the complex activities of the nervous system.

The activities of the nervous system monitors temperature, light, and sound from the external environment. Based on the sensory input the nervous system responds by sending signals to muscles, causing them to contract, or to glands, causing them to produce secretions resulting in motor output or motor function responses.

For additional information visit http://www.training.seer.cancer.gov/anatomy