Skeletal System
What do we do everyday? WE SIT - at the office, in the car, on the train/bus and in those endless meetings. Then at home, or the restaurant, in front of the TV…and we wonder why we get back ache!
Anyone would think we were made to do all this sitting, but in fact we would be wrong. The human body wasn’t designed to sit for long periods of time, nor was it designed to stand for long periods of time.
The skeletal system serves as a scaffold which supports organs, anchors muscles and allows for movement and postural change. You can therefore see why the skeleton is so important in terms every day postural changes.
Major Joints
A joint is the location at which two or more bones make contact. They are constructed to allow movement and provide mechanical support.
The Shoulder Joint permits the greatest range of motion of any joint in the body. Because it is also the most frequently dislocated joint, it provides an excellent demonstration of the principle that stability must be sacrificed to obtain mobility. It is a ball and socket joint. The relatively loose joint capsule extends from the scapular neck (shoulder blade) to the humerus (upper arm bone)and this oversized capsule permits an extensive range of motion.
The Elbow Joint consists of two articulations between the humerus and the ulna, and between the humerus and radius. The larger and stronger articulations is between the humerus and the ulna. This hinge joint provides stability and limits movement at the elbow joint. The elbow joint is extremely stable . Nevertheless the joint can be damaged by severe impacts and unusual stresses.
The Hip Joint is extremely strong and stable, in part because of the massive capsule and surrounding ligaments. Compared to the shoulder joint, the joint capsule of the hip joint is denser and stronger. The combination of an almost complete bony socket, a strong joint capsule, supporting ligaments and muscular padding makes this an extremely stable joint. Although flexion, extension, adduction, abduction and rotation are permitted, the total rang of motion is considerably less than that of the shoulder.
The Knee Joint combines three separate articulations, two between the femur (upper leg bone) and tibia (lower leg bone), and one between the patella (knee cap) and the femur. Prominent fat pads provide padding around the margins of the joint and assist the bursae(fat pads) in reducing friction between the patella and other tissues.
Movement and Structure
One of the main functions of the skeleton is movement. The basic movement of the body can be described in the following terms:
Flexion is a bending movement that decreases the angle between two parts e.g. when we sit down the knees are flexed.
Extension is a movement that increases the angle between articulating elements e.g. when we stand up are knees are extended.
Abduction is a movement that pulls a structure or part away from the midline of the body e.g. moving your mouse away from your keyboard.
Adduction is movement that pulls a structure or part towards the midline of your body e.g. moving your mouse toward your keyboard.
Rotation involves turning around the longitudinal axis of the body or a limb e.g. making circles with your arm.
How Will It Help?
Getting the right chair that suits our body shape, work requirements and the right amount of adjustability can help assist in avoiding problems in both the short and long term.
Wellworking can offer the right advice to make sure that your choice of chair is the right one. To explore our range of office seating please visit our online seating store or if you unsure about what is the right chair for you please contact us.
