The skeletal system is made up of bones. When two or more bones or pieces of cartilage meet, it's called a joint. Typically, joints have connective tissue or cartilage in them, as well as synovial fluid in synovial joints. Joints allow movement...
The ankle is a vulnerable part of the body that can be broken due to a variety of different circumstances. An ankle break can leave you immobilized and unable to walk for a significant length of time. Many breaks in the ankle can be caused by high...
Performing forearm exercises does not increase the size or bulk of the hands but may increase muscle bulk in the forearms. This is due to the anatomy of the forearm and the hand, which consists of extrinsic muscles that originate in the forearm...
The ossicles are the bones in the ears that allow us to hear. They are, by far, the smallest bones in the body. All three of the ossicles fit into a cavity in the skull about the size of a dime. The ossicles transmit sound between the external and...
Heel pain is a common complaint that can vary in severity from mild discomfort to completely debilitating. According to the Plantar Fasciitis Organization, more than 2 million Americans are affected by varying degrees of heel pain annually. Those...
Athletes involved in contact sports frequently suffer from bruised ribs. The injury, which can occur as a result of a fall or blow to the side, is extremely painful and often makes sufferers feel as though they can't breathe. Unlike other bones,...
Your quadriceps are the four muscles that comprise the majority of the muscle mass of your anterior thigh. The quadriceps group primarily functions to extend your leg for walking and running, but they also aid in hip flexion. Excessive running and...
From giraffes to elephants, to mice to humans, all mammals have an average of 26 bony segments in their spines. The spinal cord leaves the brain and travels in the bone all the way down the low back. Between each vertebra there are discs for...
The rotator cuff is the name used for the attachment of the humerus to the scapula at the glenohumeral joint of the shoulder. This joint is a ball-and-socket-type joint that is inherently unstable due to the relatively shallow socket of the...
Many women are interested in having larger breasts; this is clearly evident because of the steady increase in rates of breast augmentations. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, breast augmentations went up 36 percent from 2000...
The typical human body has over 600 muscles, according to "Atlas of Human Anatomy" by Frank Netter. Three types of muscle exist in the human body. Skeletal muscles are primarily responsible for moving the body and generating heat. Cardiac, or...
Loose kneecaps can result from multiple dislocations of the kneecap from contact sports, genetic predisposition or chronic injury to the knee because of body mechanics. Although loosened ligaments cannot be tightened using exercises, your muscles...
The topic of women's volleyball uniforms seems to heat up each time the summer Olympics features scantily clad beach volleyball players hit the sand in tiny bikinis. While court volleyball and beach volleyball offer vastly different choices when...
Foot cramps can originate at any point during a bicycle ride. The cause varies by circumstance -- the same rider may get foot cramps for different reasons at different times -- and learning more about their etiology can help you find solutions for...
There are at least 640 skeletal muscles within the typical human body and most act in well-coordinated pairs, whether they be positioned in the anterior/posterior plane or medially/laterally. For ease of reference, muscles of your body are...
It is important to train your body using weights to maintain your strength and well-being at any age. Training your lower pectoral muscles can help with increasing your overall strength and flexibility. Training the entire pectoral muscles can...
The knee is a major synovial hinge joint in the leg. Located at the articulation between the femur and tibia in the lower leg and the femur in the upper leg, the knee is a crucial joint in human locomotion. The stability of the knee joint is...
Vaginal spotting can be at best socially awkward and at worse an omen of serious disease. According to "William's Gynecology," ovulation and your period typically stop, via the menopause process, at an average 51 1/2 years. The termination of your...
Shingles is a painful rash caused by the chickenpox virus, herpes zoster, also referred to as varicella-zoster. Twenty percent of people will develop this disease in their lifetime, though the current shingles vaccine may well alter that high...
Whether it's the first time you've played volleyball or you're rusty on the rules, you should know that volleyball is fairly lax when it comes to what to wear. Since the norm is different when it comes to beach volleyball versus indoor volleyball,...
When people look at women's volleyball uniforms, many wonder why the shorts are so tight and small. Most women's volleyball shorts are made to be form-fitting while men still play in looser shorts that resemble basketball shorts. The tight women's...
The left back and shoulder region includes the glenohumeral joint, the shoulder blade (scapula), the upper section of the thoracic spine with their corresponding ribs, and various muscles, tendons, ligaments and nerves. Pain in the left back and...
Sculpted muscle definition, strength, faster metabolic rates and resistance to injury and fatigue characterize people with high proportions of lean muscle mass. Dietary modification, aerobic and resistance training decrease body fat and increase...
Working with dumbbells, which are free weights attached to tubular handles, is an effective way to build muscle mass and strength via resistance. Doing a dumbbell curl involves lifting the weight with your hand by bending your elbow. Dumbbell...
Skateboarding is a popular recreational activity, especially among teenage males. It involves riding on an oblong board with four small wheels. Skateboarding is done mostly on streets and sidewalks, although specially prepared parks with...
Squats are an exercise that involves lifting weights upon your shoulders and conducting a series of squatting movements. This strengthens your legs, especially the group of four muscles above your knee called the quadriceps. The quadriceps muscles...
Exercising muscles with weights provides a variety of health benefits to adults regardless of age. Stronger muscles look aesthetically pleasing and give you more endurance and speed, better balance, a higher rate of metabolism and a reduced risk...
Your spinalis thoracis muscles are part of the erector spinae muscle group that is located adjacent to your spine bilaterally. Specifically, the spinalis thoracis attaches to segments of your thoracic spine, roughly adjacent to your shoulder...
Deadlifting is a weight-training exercise that involves lifting a heavy barbell off the ground. The main technique requires you to bend forward to grab the barbell and then hoist the weight off the ground by standing up straight and extending your...
