Kinesiology

Kinesiology

Kinesiology

Kinesiology is the science that deals with human movement. There are basically six body movements that exist. Examples of body movements include flexion, extension, adduction and abduction. The bending movement characterized by the decrease of the relative angle between two adjacent segments is referred to as flexion. An increase of the relative angle between two adjacent segments due to straightening movement is called extension. Flexion and Extension movements are found on the knee, wrist, trunk, ankle, shoulder, elbow, toe and fingers. Flexion and extension can be hiperflexion or heperextension in cases where the movement exceeds the zero original position. Abduction is the movement away from the midline of the segment while adduction is the return movement back toward the midline of the body.

The thumb, for instance, can undergo a number of movements, which include flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, circumduction. The joints involved include Metacarpophalangeal, which is characterized by flexion and extension movement and Carpometacarpal that is characterized by flexion, extension, abduction, adduction and circumduction. Another joint would be Interphalangeal. In the case of flexion and extension movement, the plane involved is the sagittal plane and the axis is mediolateral axis. In adduction and abduction movement, the plane is frontal and the movement of the plane occurs in anteroposterior axis. This axis runs from the anterior and posterior of the plane. In abduction, agonists are deltoid and supraspinatus while antagonists are teres major, latissimus, dorsi and pectoralis major. In adduction,agonist areteres major, latissimus, dorsi and pectoralis major and the antagonist are deltoid and supraspinatus.

The right fingers (3rd& 4th, 4th & 5th) with the joint as Metacarpophalangeal would undergo flexion, extension, hyperextension, abduction, adduction and circumduction depending on the circumstance. In adduction and abduction movement, plane is frontal plane and the movement of the plane occurs in anteroposterior axis. The flexion is contraction and wrist flexors are agonist while wrist extensors are antagonists. In the action involving extension, the agonists are wrist extensors while the antagonists are the flexors.

The right arm, with the shoulder as the joint, can undergo the following movements; flexion, extension, hyperextension, abduction, adduction, horizontal adduction, medial or lateral rotation and circumduction. In abduction, agonists are deltoid and supraspinatus while antagonists are teres major, latissimus, dorsi and pectoralis major. In adduction, theagonist areteres major, latissimus, dorsi and pectoralis major and the antagonist are deltoid and supraspinatus. The plan in this case is sagittal plane, and the axis is anteroposterior (Neumann, 2002).

The right wrist, with the wrist as the joint, can under the following movement; flexion, extension, hyperextension, radial flexion, and circumduction. On the wrist, the action involved in flexion is contraction and wrist flexors are agonist while wrist extensors are antagonists. In the action involving extension, the agonists are wrist extensors while the antagonists are the flexors.

The head, depending on the circumstance, can undergo flexion, extension, and hyperextension, right and left lateral flexion, right and left rotation, and circumduction movement. The joint involved is intervertebral. The plane involved is the transverse plane along the joint axes. The action is extension. The agonists are hand extensors while the antagonists are the flexors (Steindler, 1955).

The leg, with knee as the joint, can undergo the following movement; flexion, extension, hyperextension, medial and lateral rotation. The action is contraction and the leg flexors are agonist while leg extensors are antagonists. The plane is longitudinal (Neumann, 2002).

The foot, with the ankle and intertarsal as the joints, undergoes lantarflexion and dorsiflexion movement at the ankle joint and inversion and the eversion at the intertarsal joint. The action involved is contraction and the foot flexors are agonist while foot extensors are antagonists. The plane in this case is longitudinal (Steindler, 1955).

References

Neumann, D. A. (2002).Kinesiology of the musculoskeletal system. New York: Mosby/Elsevier.

Steindler, A. (1955). Kinesiology of the human body. Springfield, IL: Charles C Thomas.

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