Foundations of Occupation: Kinesiology in Daily Life

Course Overview and Expectations

  • Foundation of Occupation: Kinesiology in Daily Life (OT 510)

    • Focuses on the principles of kinesiology to be applied in occupational therapy.

Course Expectations

  • Attend class prepared to engage and learn based on personal learning preferences.

  • Complete the Knowledge Check Quiz from the previous week before attending class.

  • Actively participate in labs and collaborate with classmates on applications.

  • Encourage inquiry: Ask questions whenever there are uncertainties or curiosity on the subject matter.

Lecture 1: Objectives

  • Lecture Focus: Course introduction and terminology related to body motions, joint classifications, and biomechanics (Center of Gravity).

  • Learning Outcomes:

    • Identify and list cardinal planes and axes in the human body.

    • Demonstrate and accurately name joint motions using appropriate terminology.

    • Describe the specific plane and axis of a given joint motion.

    • Classify joints based on structural and functional characteristics, and explain how joint structure influences movement capabilities.

Kinesiology as a Foundation for Occupational Analysis

  • Key Concepts:

    • Activity Analysis: Examining activities in relation to human movement to enhance understanding and application in therapy.

    • Human Movement Concepts:

    • Planes and Axes

    • Body Motions

    • Joint Classification and Structure

Components of Kinesiology in Occupational Therapy

  • Three Key Components:

    • Neuromuscular Physiology: Understanding how muscles and nerves interact to facilitate movement.

    • Musculoskeletal Anatomy: Study of the bones and muscles involved in physical activities.

    • Biomechanics/Physics: The scientific study of motion and the forces impacting that motion.

    • Definition of Biomechanics: The rigorous scientific investigation into the principles governing human motion involving active and passive forces.

Contextual Application of Kinesiology

  • Contextuality in Kinesiology:

    • Kinesiology provides a diverse lens for analyzing occupations, indicating that multiple approaches may exist to address challenges.

    • Important Note: Merely memorizing muscles and functions is insufficient for effective practice.

    • Solutions to occupational problems often depend on contextual factors, emphasizing the need for occupational therapists to apply foundational principles to real-world situations.

Observing Movements in Everyday Activities

  • Everyday Movement Observation: Learn and analyze typical day-to-day movements to understand better the application of kinesiology within occupational contexts.

Occupational Therapy Practice Framework (OTPF)

  • Overview of OTPF:

    • Defines the areas of focus and practice within occupational therapy while outlining procedural steps and involved actions.

Domain and Process in OTPF

  • Domain: Areas of concern that occupational therapy practitioners address, including:

    • Occupations: Organizing activities into:

    • Activities of Daily Living (ADLs);

    • Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs);

    • Rest and Sleep;

    • Education;

    • Work;

    • Play;

    • Leisure;

    • Social Participation.

    • Performance Factors: Contexts impacting client performance, including values, beliefs, habits, routines, roles, and skills.

    • Contextual Influences: Cultural, personal, societal, temporal, and virtual factors.

Process of Occupational Therapy

  • Process Components:

    • Evaluation: Initial assessment of client needs and context.

    • Intervention: Implementing strategies to address evaluated needs.

    • Targeting of Outcomes: Identifying expected results of interventions conducted.

Biomechanical Frame of Reference

  • Primary Emphasis Areas:

    • Range of Motion: Measurement of joint angles and movement capacity.

    • Strength: Evaluation of muscle force capabilities.

    • Endurance: Assessment of sustained physical activity over time.

Understanding Movement Concepts

  • Basic Principles:

    • Anatomical Position: Standard reference position for describing human anatomy and movement.

    • Body Motions: Include common terms for describing joint and limb movements, foundational for analyzing motion.

Types of Movements (from Anatomical Position)

  • Flexion: Decreasing an angle between body parts.

  • Extension: Increasing an angle between body parts.

  • Lateral Flexion: Bending to the right or left side.

    • Types of Lateral Flexion: Right and Left specific movements.

  • Rotational Movements:

    • Rotation Right and Left: Twisting motions around an axis.

  • Abduction: Movement away from the body’s midline.

  • Adduction: Movement toward the body’s midline.

  • Horizontal Abduction/Adduction: Movements across the horizontal plane.

  • Internal and External Rotation: Rotational movements describing inward or outward motions relative to the body.

  • Pronation and Supination: Specific rotational movements of the forearm and foot.

    • Pronation: Rotation leading the palm down.

    • Supination: Rotation leading the palm up.

  • Ulnar and Radial Deviation: Sideward movements of the wrist towards the ulna or radius (inner and outer forearm respectively).

  • Dorsiflexion and Plantar Flexion: Movements describing the angle of the foot at the ankle joint.

    • Dorsiflexion: Raising the foot upward.

    • Plantar Flexion: Pointing the foot down.

Planes of Movement

  • Sagittal Plane:

    • Divides the body into left and right segments.

  • Frontal Plane:

    • Divides the body into anterior (front) and posterior (back) sections.

  • Horizontal/Transverse Plane:

    • Divides the body into superior (upper) and inferior (lower) parts.

Axes of Movement

  • To understand the motion associated with each plane, identify the corresponding axes.

  • X-axis: Correlates with the sagittal plane.

  • Y-axis: Correlates with the frontal plane.

  • Z-axis: Correlates with the horizontal plane.

Joint Classifications

  • Definition of a Joint: A joint is defined as the organized structure where two or more bones are linked via soft connective tissues. The type and range of movement permitted at any joint depend on its structural characteristics.

  • Joint Categories:

    • Non-Synovial Joints:

    • Rigidly connect bones directly, limiting mobility:

      • Fibrous Joints:

      • Synarthrosis: Joined by dense fibrous connective tissue (e.g., sutures in the skull).

      • Syndesmosis: Ligaments or membranes join the bones (e.g., distal tibiofibular joint).

      • Gomphosis: Peg-in-socket joints (e.g., teeth in the mandible).

      • Cartilaginous Joints:

      • Formed with fibrocartilage or hyaline cartilage allowing limited movement (e.g., pubic symphysis, first sternocostal joint).

    • Synovial Joints:

    • Enclosed in a joint capsule, allowing for free movement between the ends of bones:

      • Components of Synovial Joints:

      • Consist of hyaline cartilage, joint cavity, synovial fluid, synovial membrane, and joint capsule.

      • Accessory Structures: May include disks or menisci, labra, fat pads, ligaments, and tendons.

Degrees of Freedom in Synovial Joints

  • Uniaxial Joints:

    • One degree of freedom allowing movement about one axis.

    • Examples: Hinge joints (e.g., elbow, knee) and pivot joints (e.g., atlantoaxial joint).

  • Biaxial Joints:

    • Two degrees of freedom allowing movement around two axes.

    • Types:

      • Condyloid Joints: Oval-shaped surfaces fitting into concave counterparts (e.g., metacarpophalangeal joints).

      • Saddle Joints: Both surfaces are convex on one plane and concave on the other (e.g., carpometacarpal joint of the thumb).

  • Triaxial or Multiaxial Joints:

    • Allow movement in multiple planes.

    • Examples: Ball and socket joints (e.g., hip and shoulder) and plane joints with irregular surfaces (e.g., intercarpal joints and sternoclavicular joint).