Patient Information from the American Chiropractic ......Most of the injuries to joints occur...
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Human joints come in many shapes and sizes and allow us to move and carry out normal activities of daily living. Without joints, we would be rigid and immobile. But they are also often injured, causing pain and discomfort. The most commonly injured joints are the knees, shoul- ders, ankles and spine. Approximately 30 million doctor visits a year are due to knee and shoulder injuries alone. Some 150 million to 200 million cases of back pain send people to the doctor every year—and many of those are related to joint injuries. How do joints work? Joints are designed to withstand the loads placed on them and provide a full range of motion. Each joint is made up of at least two surfaces that touch each other and allow for movement. These include ball-and-socket joints such as the hip; hinge joints such as the knee and elbow; and glid- ing joints, such as those in the spine. The bones that make up the joint allow movement, but it is the muscles that pull the bones that produce the move- ment. Muscles are attached to bones by structures called tendons. Tendons must be both strong to facilitate move- ment and compliant to prevent damage to the muscle tis- sues. Ligaments, which are stiff structures that connect bones, help to prevent excessive movement. Muscles, tendons, and ligaments are attached around each joint at very specific positions, with joint surfaces shaped in exact dimensions. Fluid within most of the joints lubricates the joint surfaces to reduce friction and allow for lifelong use. How do I keep joints in good shape? The movements that you perform on a daily basis are crit- ical to long-term joint health, as are proper nutrition, a healthy exercise regimen, and a healthy lifestyle. Proper lifting is also important. (See sidebar on the back.) Moving a joint through its full range of motion serves sev- eral important purposes. Joints are not supplied directly with blood as are other organs within the body, so the say- ing “If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it” applies to joint func- tion. Most joints in the body are lined with cartilage—a firm but pliable tissue that covers the surfaces of the bones that make up the joint. Cartilage within a joint is nourished by synovial fluid, which is “forced” into the joint cartilage through a process called imbibition. The pressure within the joint providing nourishment to the cartilage occurs only when joint movement happens. And this is why movement is critical to joint health. Grinding of bone on bone without a cartilage covering leads to degenerative joint disease, tearing up the bones and creating cysts, bone spurs, and excess bone production. A spinal disc is made up of two parts: a larger, outermost, more ligament-like portion called the annulus fibrosus and an inner gelatinous portion called the nucleus pulposus. These two structures are primarily fluid- or water-based Healthy Living Patient Information from the American Chiropractic Association Preventing Joint Injuries with Proper Movement The most commonly injured joints are the knees, shoulders, ankles and spine. Approximately 30 million doctor visits a year are due to knee and shoulder injuries alone.
Transcript of Patient Information from the American Chiropractic ......Most of the injuries to joints occur...
Human joints come in many shapes and sizes and allowus to move and carry out normal activities of daily living.Without joints, we would be rigid and immobile. But theyare also often injured, causing pain and discomfort.
The most commonly injured joints are the knees, shoul-ders, ankles and spine. Approximately 30 million doctorvisits a year are due to knee and shoulder injuries alone.Some 150 million to 200 million cases of back pain sendpeople to the doctor every year—and many of those arerelated to joint injuries.
How do joints work?Joints are designed to withstand the loads placed on themand provide a full range of motion. Each joint is made up ofat least two surfaces that touch each other and allow formovement. These include ball-and-socket joints such asthe hip; hinge joints such as the knee and elbow; and glid-ing joints, such as those in the spine.
The bones that make up the joint allow movement, but it isthe muscles that pull the bones that produce the move-ment. Muscles are attached to bones by structures calledtendons. Tendons must be both strong to facilitate move-ment and compliant to prevent damage to the muscle tis-sues. Ligaments, which are stiff structures that connectbones, help to prevent excessive movement.
Muscles, tendons, and ligaments are attached aroundeach joint at very specific positions, with joint surfacesshaped in exact dimensions. Fluid within most of the jointslubricates the joint surfaces to reduce friction and allow forlifelong use.
How do I keep joints in good shape?The movements that you perform on a daily basis are crit-ical to long-term joint health, as are proper nutrition, ahealthy exercise regimen, and a healthy lifestyle. Properlifting is also important. (See sidebar on the back.)
Moving a joint through its full range of motion serves sev-eral important purposes. Joints are not supplied directlywith blood as are other organs within the body, so the say-ing “If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it” applies to joint func-tion.
Most joints in the body are lined with cartilage—a firm butpliable tissue that covers the surfaces of the bones thatmake up the joint. Cartilage within a joint is nourished bysynovial fluid, which is “forced” into the joint cartilagethrough a process called imbibition. The pressure withinthe joint providing nourishment to the cartilage occurs onlywhen joint movement happens. And this is why movementis critical to joint health. Grinding of bone on bone withouta cartilage covering leads to degenerative joint disease,tearing up the bones and creating cysts, bone spurs, andexcess bone production.
A spinal disc is made up of two parts: a larger, outermost,more ligament-like portion called the annulus fibrosus andan inner gelatinous portion called the nucleus pulposus.These two structures are primarily fluid- or water-based
Healthy LivingPatient Information from the American Chiropractic Association
Preventing Joint Injuries with Proper Movement
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Healthy LivingPatient Education: Joint Injuries
and they also rely on movement and imbibition for theirnourishment. Therefore, movement in the spine is also crit-ical to the health of the spinal joints.
Proper diet and nutrition also contribute to joint health byproviding the joints with enough healthy nutrients for long-term stability and resistance to wear and tear. A healthylifestyle, one that is free from tobacco products and othertoxins, helps to ensure proper blood supply to tissues sur-rounding joints and speeds up healing of joint injuries whenthey occur.
How are joints injured?Most of the injuries to joints occur because abnormalstresses are placed on a normal joint. A joint can be injuredacutely from a single traumatic event. An ankle sprain is aclassic example. The ankle joint is protected by ligamentson the inside and outside. When the ankle moves exces-sively inward, the ligaments on the outside of the joint aretorn. The ankle swells, leading to bruising and pain. Insome cases, small pieces of bone and cartilage may betorn away. Frank fracture of the tibia and/or fibula (anklebones) can also occur.
Other joint injuries are called repetitive-stress injuries orcumulative-trauma disorders. These injuries occur whenrelatively small abnormal stresses are repeatedly placed onnormal joints. The stresses placed on joints by poor pos-ture, poor joint position during the performance of a task,and/or poor workstation ergonomics make these jointsmore likely to be injured.
How can I prevent repetitive stressinjuries?There are three basic principles that are espe-cially important when considering the impact ofproper joint movement:
1. When lifting an object, be sure that the largestmuscles in the area perform the task. The larger the mus-cle or muscle group utilized for lifting, the less the stressplaced on smaller, more vulnerable muscles and the jointitself.
2. During any activities, you should be able to com-fortably assume several different postures, to avoid stayingin one posture for extended periods. Muscles will fatigueand joints are more likely to be injured when you hold a
‘particular posture, especially a poor one, such as stayingpartially bent forward at the waist.
3. When performing tasks, keep the joints that arebeing used either in their neutral posture or approximatelyhalfway into the range of motion. Working with your jointsat the extremes of their ranges of motion for prolongedperiods places abnormal stresses on those joints and canresult in repetitive-stress injuries.
Be Careful When LiftingObjects
When lifting, be certain to follow these sim-ple suggestions:
- When lifting anything from the floor, keep the spine straight and lift with the legs. Do not bend over at the waist and lift with the muscles of the low back. Your body is more easily injured in this position.
- Keep the object being lifted close to your body.
- Keep your elbows flexed.- Keep your head up and your neck
straight as you lift.
For more information on preventionand wellness, or to find a doctor ofchiropractic near you, visit ACA’s web-site at www.acatoday.org/patients.
Lawrence H. Wyatt, DC, DACBR, FICC, Prrofessor, Divisionof Clinical Sciences, Texas Chiropractic College, Writer
This patient information page is a public service of the Journal of the American Chiropractic Association. Theinformation and recommendations appearing on this page are appropriate in most instances, but they are not asubstitute for a diagnosis by a specialist. For specific information concerning your health condition, consult yourdoctor of chiropractic. This page may be reproduced noncommercially by doctors of chiropractic and otherhealthcare professionals to educate patients. Any other reproduction is subject to ACA approval.
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