Sports training, with appropriate exercises, helps improve flexibility and coordination.
The human locomotor system is made up of our muscles and the skeleton , a system that is made up of cartilage , ligaments and bones . This structure is responsible for executing, through different types of movements, the orders given by our nervous system.
Thanks to the musculoskeletal system , also defined as the musculoskeletal system , men and women are able to have support, stability, balance and body movement. The same with the rest of the vertebrate species: the locomotor system enables their connection with the environment that surrounds them since it gives them resistance and physical mobility.
Linked to the musculoskeletal system are voluntary movements (orders executed consciously and in a coordinated and controlled manner) and involuntary movements (caused by some pathology, produced as a reaction to a blow, etc.).
Parts of the musculoskeletal system
There are basically two parts of the musculoskeletal system : the muscular system and the osteoarticular system .
The skeletal system of living organisms, by encompassing solid formations, provides the muscles and soft tissues with shelter and protection. There are, in this framework, two fundamental areas: the axial skeleton (which includes the vertebral column , the sternum , the so-called rib cage (area of the ribs ), the hyoid bone , the bones of the auditory canal and the skull ) and the appendicular skeleton (essential for movement, it contains more than 120 bones distributed in both upper and lower limbs). In this last mentioned set, elements of the shoulder girdle and the pelvic girdle are grouped together, for example.
Joints and muscles
Joints and muscles are essential for the musculoskeletal system to function properly. It is important to highlight that a joint is identified as the point of union or meeting of at least two bones that manage to rotate or move, that is, move. In these soft areas there is a tissue called cartilage that is characterized by its elasticity . Articular cartilage , specifically, has the mission of minimizing friction between joints and promoting joint movement , key to guaranteeing circulation and regeneration of synovial fluid . Among the injuries and problems that can affect cartilage, osteoarthritis appears.
Also of enormous value are the fibers called ligaments that guarantee that, in a joint, the bone structures connect. In turn, bones are linked to muscles and these to different structures through tendons .
Despite being resistant, excessive efforts, certain health disorders and certain accidents and blows can lead to damage of varying severity that compromises joints or bones . There are, in this context, chances of suffering dislocations , fractures or sprains .
The therapeutic massage is performed by someone who is an expert in physiotherapy to relieve pain, promote circulation or strengthen muscles, for example.
If we refer to the muscles , however, it is not advisable to overlook a very common reality in individuals of different ages: the existence of muscle cramps that surprise the affected person with a spasm or contraction that is triggered suddenly, has a variable duration and can cause discomfort.
What muscles exist? Many. First of all, we must consider that those that are attached to the skeleton are classified as skeletal muscles . They are the most abundant and are made up of muscle fibers (which can be fast-twitch muscle fibers or slow-twitch muscle fibers ): to a lesser extent there is smooth muscle and cardiac muscle in the human body. Body movements have the agonist muscles as their greatest allies (they help to carry out the action), while the antagonist muscles (such as the triceps and biceps) work simultaneously so that, when the agonist muscle contracts, the antagonist relaxes. . Synergistic muscles (they collaborate in the action of an agonist muscle) and stabilizing muscles (as their name summarizes, they provide physical stability) are also identified.
When training or doing exercises to stay in shape or feel better, routines usually include series with rotation , circumduction , flexion , extension , abduction and adduction movements. Running lovers, for their part, soon become familiar with the notions of pronation and supination , especially when having to recognize their type of gait and if they are faced with the need to correct the first option. By strengthening the muscles of the feet and using insoles, the chances of suffering from discomfort or injuries such as plantar fasciitis are reduced.
Vitamin D, key in the calcium absorption process, is essential to keep bone structures strong and healthy.
Pathologies that affect the musculoskeletal system
There are pathologies that affect the musculoskeletal system, compromising health and threatening quality of life. Unfortunately, diagnoses of osteoporosis , a disease marked by bone fragility and weakening, abound. Those who suffer from it must adopt healthy habits, perform physical exercise according to their possibilities and needs, take medication and eat healthy nutrition.
Autoimmune in nature and neuromuscular in nature, meanwhile, is the disorder called myasthenia gravis , a problem that quickly weakens and exhausts voluntary muscles.
The spine of certain people may show an arch or curvature that, after the corresponding evaluations to confirm the diagnosis, doctors may name as kyphosis . Also associated with this same part of the body are the following conditions: lordosis (identifiable by detecting a vertebra outside its normal location or position that causes an arched posture ) and scoliosis (a deviation or deformation of the spine that, Sometimes, it is corrected by using a corset and, if the situation is more compromising, it requires surgery).
If the bursa (sac also defined as the synovial bursa) becomes inflamed as a result of an injury or joint overload, on the other hand, we speak of bursitis , while tendinitis occurs when said swelling severely affects a tendon .
There are also cases of arthritis (the joints degenerate or become inflamed, causing stiffness and painful sensations, as occurs with the variety known as gout ) and muscular dystrophy (a set of pathologies with genetic roots that are characterized by bone fragility and a progressive decrease). of muscle mass). Before concluding this list, it is worth clarifying that the ailments and conditions that are associated with pain and inflammation in the musculoskeletal system are grouped under the name of rheumatism .