I have noticed on Facebook a lot of comments and discussion about the
properties of a specific muscle. I know we study individual muscles in
school. I even have individual muscle
content in my textbooks. But—I know that in the real world there is no such thing
as an individual muscle. Each skeletal muscle is an individual organ made of
hundreds or thousands of muscle fibers (or cells), large amounts of connective
tissue and nerve fibers, and many blood vessels. –the muscle organ!
Most daily activities require the coordination of complex
neuromuscular interactions. Myotatic units are functional muscle groups. They
are interconnected with fascia and networked neurologically so that movement
occurs smoothly, sequentially, and in a coordinated manner. Only rarely does
any muscle act independently. All
functional movement patterns involve acceleration provided by concentric muscle
action, stabilization provided by isometric muscle action, and deceleration
provided by eccentric action. Every so called “muscle” can perform all the
actions but not at the same time. The function of the muscle organ shift just
like how we can be a parent, massage therapist and spouse
Most muscles play a part in a movement pattern, just as
actors do in a play. Roles can change, depending on the response required. A
muscle can be the star, or prime mover, and in the next instant become one of
the supporting cast. A moment later the
same muscle can assume the opposite role. Remember, three types of muscle
actions exist: concentric, in which the muscle shortens producing movement (acceleration)
and the joint angle decreases; eccentric, in which the muscles maintains a
controlled lengthening (deceleration) response as the joint angle increases;
and isometric, in which the muscles shortens but produces no movement. The
terms mover (agonist), prime mover, antagonist, fixator (stabilizer), neutralizer,
support, and synergist describe the function of muscles in a complete movement
pattern. .The nervous system
accomplishes the fine control of muscle organ interaction over a wide range of
lengths, tensions, speeds, and loads.
The mover/antagonist interaction is easy to visualize in
muscle pairs such as the biceps brachii, which flexes the elbow joint, and
triceps brachii, which extends the elbow joint. However, the interaction
becomes more complex when we consider that the deltoid and quadriceps femoris
and the adductors and hamstrings form a functional unit because of our gait, or
walking pattern. The various functional units that require muscles to cooperate
in producing body wide movements (e.g., walking, maintaining balance) need
sophisticated reflex control by the nervous system.. Muscle units also must
react proprioceptively to gravity, momentum, external forces, and forces
created by other functioning muscles units.
The body functions as a linked system of interdependent
segments involving the entire neuromuscular, connective tissue, articular
system which is linked each segment to the next. The parts of the body act as a
system of chain links so that the energy or force generated by one part of the
body can be transferred successively to the next link. The optimum coordination
(timing) of these body segments and their movements will allow for the
efficient transfer of energy and power up through the body, moving from one
body segment to the next. Each movement in the sequence builds upon the
previous motion.. Connective tissue binding, joint injury, or degeneration or
neurological and balance problems are causes of dysfunction. Regardless of
where the problem begins, eventually the entire chain is affected.
AN SO AS YOU CAN TELL, I JUST CAN’T ACCURATELY TALK ABOUT AN
INDIVIDUAL MUSCLE.
