The musculoskeletal system is the body’s support structure.
The musculoskeletal system is dynamic and constantly remodeling itself to keep you healthy.
Regularexercisethroughout your life is crucial for keeping your musculoskeletal system healthy.
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This article takes a closer look at the function and anatomy of the musculoskeletal system.
MoMo Productions / Getty Images
What Is the Musculoskeletal System?
The musculoskeletal system, also known as the human locomotor system, is the framework of the body.
Living an active lifestyle not only enhances musculoskeletal functions, but also protects against musculoskeletal diseases.
Bones
There are 206 bones in the adult human body.
Bone remodeling is a continuous process whereby old bone is gradually replaced by new bone.
The third throw in of muscle,cardiac muscle, is not part of the musculoskeletal system.
Skeletal musclesare:
Smooth musclesare:
There’s more to muscles than keeping you strong.
Normal cartilage is smooth, flexible, and tough.
Cartilage is composed of collagen, water, and proteins calledproteoglycans.
Cartilage serves to:
Cartilage lacks lymph nodes, blood vessels, and nervous tissue.
While this makes cartilage resilient, the limited blood flow makes it less capable of repairing and renewing itself.
Thus, disorders marked by the breakdown of cartilage, like osteoarthritis, can be severely painful and disabling.
Joints
Thejointsare where the ends of two or more bones come together.
There are two types of joints that facilitate movement: synovial joints and cartilaginous joints.
Cells of the synovium produce synovial fluid which nourishes the cartilage and helps to reduce friction during movement.
Ligaments
Ligamentsare tough, fibrous bands of tissue that connect bone to bone.
They are composed of collagen and elastic fibers, which give them a rubberband-like stretchability.
Ligaments:
Ligaments are particularly vulnerable to damage because of overuse, trauma, and disease.
These tough, fibrous bands of tissue are primarily made of collagen.
What Health Conditions Affect the Musculoskeletal System?
Musculoskeletal conditions are the leading cause of disability worldwide, affecting at least 1.7 billion people.
People with osteoporosis have a greater risk of bone fractures.
Most people with osteoporosis are post-menopausal women and men with low testosterone.
Osteopeniais another condition marked by low bone density.
Fragility fracturesaffect roughly half of all women and one-quarter of all men at some point in life.
Fragility fractures are fractures that occur when a person falls from standing height or less.
The hip, spine, and wrist are the most common sites of fragility fractures.
Traumatic fracturesare fractures because of force.
They can happen to any person of any age, not just people with low bone density.
While this is normal, poor nutrition and lack of exercise can expedite muscle loss and result in sarcopenia.
Muscle strainoccurs when a muscle is overstretched, causing muscle fibers to tear.
This is often called a “pulled muscle.”
Muscular dystrophyis a group of genetic muscular diseases that causes progressive muscle loss.
Muscular dystrophies worsen over time.
Eventually, many people with muscular dystrophy lose their ability to walk.
Some muscular dystrophies appear in childhood, while others start later in life.
The condition causes pain, stiffness, and swelling in the joints.
Most people with rheumatoid arthritis start to notice symptoms in their 30s to 50s.
Psoriatic arthritis causes joint pain, stiffness, and swelling, most commonly in the fingers and toes.
There are several forms of psoriatic arthritis, such as symmetrical polyarthritis, which closely resembles rheumatoid arthritis.
Goutis an inflammatory disease that comes up whenever there is too much uric acid in the body.
This causes uric acid crystals to build up in joints.
Usually, flares affect one joint at a time.
Gout flares usually start suddenly and last for days to weeks at a time.
Flares are followed by remission when there are no symptoms.
What Is the Most Common Musculoskeletal Condition?
Low back pain is the most common musculoskeletal condition, affecting at least 619 million people worldwide.
It is the leading cause of disability and is most prevalent in women ages 50 to 55 years.
Low back pain may begin suddenly or develop gradually.
The exact cause of low back pain is unclear in about 90% of cases.
Keeping Your Musculoskeletal System Healthy
you’re able to’t prevent every musculoskeletal injury or disease.
Some musculoskeletal conditions, like osteopenia, cannot be prevented.
Others, like osteoporosis, can be slowed or prevented by keeping your musculoskeletal system healthy.
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