Introduction to Kinesiology - Lecture Notes

Introduction

• This set of notes compiles key ideas from the provided transcript of the ATRG: 1013 Intro to Kinesiology slides from The University of Tulsa.

• Structure follows the sequence of topics in the slides, organized as top-level sections with bullet points for clarity.

What is Kinesiology?

• Merriam-Webster definition: "The study of the principles of mechanics and anatomy in relation to human movement."

• Alternative framing: "The study of human movement."

• Expanded definition: "The study of the acquisition of motor skills, the mechanical aspects of movement, and the body’s responses to physical activity."

• Acknowledged simplification: "More accurately said…" (followed by the simpler notion: the study of human movement)

How kinesiology impacts us all

• Fundamental movements

• Daily tasks of living

• Why is this important?

• These tasks are universal to the human experience, but every human’s experience with them is unique.

• Fundamental movements (reiterated as the core idea linking movement to daily life)

Fundamental movements and daily living tasks

• Reframed: These fundamental movements underpin all daily tasks of living.

• The universal nature of these tasks contrasts with the unique individual experience of performing them.

Common terms and abbreviations (selected terms from Page 11)

• Abduction / Adduction

• Medial / Lateral

• Face Up / Face Down

• Supine / Prone

• Closer / Further

• Proximal / Distal

• Back / Belly

• Dorsal / Ventral

• Bilateral / Unilateral

• M x E Force

• Force into the ground (Ground Reaction Force)

• Change in velocity / Acceleration

• Clinical Education / Unit (CE / CEU)

• With Oxygen / Without Oxygen

• Aerobic / Anaerobic

• Weight(kg) / [Height(m)]^2

• Body Mass Index (BMI)

• Health Literacy

• Social Determinants of Health

Health Literacy (Page 12)

• Personal Health Literacy: the degree to which individuals have the ability to find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others.

• Organizational Health Literacy: the degree to which organizations equitably enable individuals to find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others.

• Previously accepted definition: the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.

Social Determinants of Health (Page 13)

• WHO definition: the non-medical factors that influence health outcomes.

• The conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, and the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily life.

• Examples include:

  • Income and social protection

  • Education

  • Unemployment and job insecurity

  • Working life conditions

  • Food insecurity

  • Housing, basic amenities and the environment

  • Early childhood development

  • Social inclusion and non-discrimination

  • Structural conflict

  • Access to affordable health services of decent quality

Applied, Clinical, and Behavioral Kinesiology (Page 14)

• Types of Kinesiology summarized as:

  • Applied Kinesiology

  • Clinical Kinesiology

  • Behavioral Kinesiology

Applied Kinesiology (Page 15)

• The use of manual muscle testing to evaluate body function through the dynamics of the musculoskeletal system.

• Treatments may involve:

  • Specific joint manipulation or mobilization

  • Various myofascial therapies

  • Cranial techniques

  • Meridian and acupuncture skills

  • Clinical nutrition, dietary management

  • Counseling skills

  • Evaluating environmental irritants

  • Various reflex procedures

Could also look like… Applied Kinesiology and related approaches (Page 16)

• Osteopathic Manipulation Treatment (OMT) / Osteopathic Medical Manipulation (OMM)

• Chiropractic Care

• OMT/OMM is a non-invasive treatment option for issues such as:

  • Muscle pain, joint pain, body tightness, and other structural imbalances

• Relationship and differences:

  • OMT/OMM and Chiropractic are technically different specialties but share common features and treat similar ailments.

  • Chiropractic doctors are more likely to press on vertebrae, while OMT/OMM doctors are more likely to use limbs to make levered movements of the body.

Clinical Kinesiology (CK) (Page 17)

• CK is a system of measurement and a tool that allows the patient’s subconscious to guide the physician’s diagnostic path and the preferred prioritized therapeutic sequence.

• CK is a non-invasive diagnostic procedure that accesses the biological function of a patient and is a radical departure from invasive techniques commonly used today.

Tools and Movement in Clinical Kinesiology (Page 18)

• Clinical kinesiology is most similar to the work of an athletic trainer or physical therapist.

• Uses established testing methods and tools before typically prescribing exercise for treatment.

• May occasionally involve manual manipulation, but relies predominantly on building muscle, range of motion, and flexibility through exercise.

Behavioral Kinesiology (Page 19-20)

• Definition: The study of the structures and processes of human movement and how they are modified by inherent factors, environmental events, and therapeutic intervention.

• PSYCH! (Page 20): Considered the most “alternative” approach due to limited scientific proof.

• Behavioral Kinesiology examines the psychological factors connected to muscle testing interpretation.

• Uses include:

  • Performance analysis

  • Truth seeking

  • Personality trait assessments

Type of Kinesiology (Page 21)

• Defining features:

  • Applied: Manual functional evaluation (typically through manipulation of joints or muscles)

  • Clinical: Focus is on recovery and healing through exercise

  • Behavioral: What is affecting functionality outside of the tissues directly involved

Disciplines (Page 22)

• Mechanics applied to biology; mechanics itself is the response of bodies to forces or displacements.

• Think engineering meets biology.

• Physical and mental effort of an individual or sports team to win or defeat the other person or team.

• Questions raised:

  • What makes someone an athlete?

  • Health is complete physical, mental, and social well-being; not merely the absence of disease.

• Biomechanics / Athletic Performance / Health / Fitness

Sub-Disciplines (Page 23)

• Egometry

• Motor Control

• Training

• Injury Prevention

• Biomechanics

• Athletic Performance / Health / Fitness

• Coaching

• Education

Careers (Page 24)

• Research

• Design

• Engineering

• Athletic Training

• Coaching

• Education

• Counseling