Warped Anatomy

Bending is something we think about when it comes to how an elbow may move or how a knee changes its shape. We may think about how our fingers bend around an object as we pick it up, or the bending of a dog’s neck as they look at you confused regarding your last command. The ability to adapt to our environment has been a primary reason we have been so successful, and our capacity to contort ourselves to fit within the constraints of nature has led to a great ability to move within the world.

Bones bend. This is a statement rarely uttered in conversations regarding movement. The fact remains, bones are spongy and bendy. Every movement we make involves some level of bony bend. This element of our anatomy is incredibly efficient and creates a ton of movement options to manipulate the world. Consider a sling shot, in order to launch the rock in the pocket you must first pull back on the sling. An incredible amount of energy is stored within the sling right before you left go. It took the application of energy to the elastic sling to alter the shape enough to store energy and then apply it to the rock. This is how we walk, and in fact a major contributor to movement as a whole. Muscles tend to get all the glory for movement, but really it is the elasticity of tissues that are the hero.

The inefficiency associated with a loss of elastic mechanisms is what often leads to a movement related problem. As the ability to elastically store and release energy declines, the application of force becomes more effortful. This leads to fatigue and can create focalized pressures over time. Retaining your ability to bend, contort and warp your own anatomy time after time creates that level of ease where your own motion is nearly imperceptible.

Austin Ulrich, Physical Therapist