The National Academy of Sports Medicine
Current Concepts in Functional Anatomy
Focus on Function
Functional Fitness, Performance Enhancement,
Injury Prevention, Reconditioning, and
Rehabilitation develops optimum levels of
functional strength and neuromuscular
efficiency
Function
Integrated, multi-planar (sagittal, frontal,
transverse) movement that requires
acceleration (concentric force production),
deceleration (eccentric force reduction), and
stabilization (Isometrics)
Functional Strength
The ability of the neuro-musculo-skeletal
(NMS) system to perform dynamic eccentric,
isometric, and concentric contractions upon
demand in a smooth coordinated fashion
during functional movements
Neuromuscular Efficiency
The ability of the NMS to allow agonists,
antagonists, synergists, stabilizers, and
neutralizers to work synergistically to produce
force, reduce force, and dynamically stabilize
the entire Kinetic Chain in all three planes of
motion
The ability of the NMS to produce the right
amount of force, at the right joint, at the right
time to allow for movement efficiency
Focus on Function
Traditional fitness, performance enhancement,
reconditioning, and rehab and does not
emphasize the development of functional
strength or neuromuscular efficiency
Primary emphasis is on force production in the
sagittal plane
Most injuries occur during force reduction in the
transverse plane
Does a traditional isolated approach really solve our
problems?
Muscle Function
How do muscles work during dynamic
functional movements???
If we know what muscles do during functional
movements, it becomes much easier to design
functional exercises programs
Muscle Function
Key muscles have the ability to dominate in
one plane of motion
However, all muscles work in all planes of motion
to allow optimal neuromuscular efficiency
Muscle function is a highly complex, integrated
neurophysiological event that is controlled by
the Central Nervous System
Muscle Function
The CNS directs pre-programmed patterns of
movement (Motor Programs) that can be
modified in countless ways to react
appropriately to the external environment
Gravity
Ground Reaction Forces
Momentum
External Load
Muscle Function
The CNS is designed to optimize the selection
of muscle synergies and not individual muscle
contractions
Current Concepts in Functional Anatomy
Two distinct yet interdependent muscle
systems
Stabilization System (Stabilizers)
Local Stabilizers
Global Stabilizers
Movement System (Mobilizers)
Global Mobilizers
Understanding Muscle Function
Stabilization Group
Local Stabilizers
Muscles
Multifidus
Transverse Abdominus
Transversospinalis
Deep Neck Flexors
Function
Neuromuscular control (Proprioception)
Continuous activity (contractions) throughout movement
Independent of direction of movement
Stabilization (Isometric) contraction (minimal length change)
Controls neutral positions
Understanding Muscle Function
Stabilization Group
Global Stabilizers
Muscles
Internal Oblique
Quadratus Lumborum
Gluteus Medius
Gluteus Maximus
Rotator Cuff
Scapular Stabilizers
Function
Generates force to control ROM
Low load eccentric deceleration
Non-continuous contraction (activity)
Activity is direction dependent
Understanding Muscle Function
Movement Group
Global Mobilizers
Muscles
Gastrocnemius
Hamstring
Quadriceps
Adductors
External Oblique
Rectus Abdominus
Erector Spinae
Latissimus Dorsi
Function
Force production/torque production (Concentric)
Concentric acceleration (Primarily saggital plane)
Non-continuous (Phasic) contraction
Direction dependent
Results of Muscle Imbalances?
Stabilizers
Delayed recruitment
Reacts to pain and
pathology with inhibition
Loss of joint
stabilizations
Leads to synergistic
dominance
Mobilizers
Become overactive
Reacts to pain and
pathology with spasm
Develops myofascial
adhesions which alter
(Length-Tension, and
Joint Arthrokinematics)
Force-couple Relationships
Muscles work synergistically to reduce force,
dynamically stabilize and concentrically
produce force in all three planes of motion
The CNS is designed to optimize the selection
of muscle synergies
Lateral Sub-system
Muscles Involved
Gluteus Medius
Tensor Fascia Latae
Adductor Complex
Quadratus Lumborum
Function
Frontal plane stability
Posterior-Oblique Sub-system
Muscles Involved
Latissimus Dorsi
Thoracolumbar Fascia
Gluteus Maximus
Function
Transverse plane
stabilization
Anterior-Oblique Sub-system
Muscles Involved
Internal Oblique and Hip
Adductor Complex
External Oblique and
Hip External Rotators
Function
Transverse plane
stabilization
Deep Longitudinal Sub-system
Muscles Involved
Erector Spinae
Thoracolumbar Fascia
Gluteus Maximus
Biceps Femoris
Peroneals
Function
Force transmission
longitudinally from the
ground to the trunk
Result of Kinetic Chain Dysfunction
Reciprocal Inhibition
Synergistic Dominance
Arthrokinetic Inhibition
Relative Flexibility
Pattern Overload
Reciprocal (altered) Inhibition
Increased neural drive
or decreased
extensibility of an
agonist will decrease
the neural drive to its
functional antagonist
Leads to synergistic
dominance
Synergistic Dominance
The neuromuscular
phenomenon that
occurs when synergists
and stabilizers
compensate for prime
movers during
functional movement
patterns
Arthrokinetic Inhibition
The process of
inhibition that occurs
from lack of proper
joint arthrokinematics
Relative Flexibility
The Kinetic Chain will
take the path of least
resistance
The body will always find
motion, but is it coming
from the right joint, at
the right time?
Pattern Overload
Repetitive recruitment
of the same muscle
fibers, in the same
range and plane of
motion and at the same
speed creates tissue
overload and eventually
injury
Summary
Muscles function with one another to synergistically reduce
force, stabilize forces and produce force.
Efficient movement is achieved through a fragile balance of
normal muscle length, and recruitment patterns to utilize the
right muscle, at the right joint, producing the right amount of
force, in the right plane of motion, at the right speed of
motion.
Inability for the human movement system to perform efficient
tasks through all planes of motion produces compensation,
altered joint and muscle function, increased tissue and joint
stress, and increases injury risk.
The National Academy of Sports Medicine
Thank you
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