Bone joints, ligaments and Bursas

JOINTS, LIGAMENTS, AND BURSAS Joints and ligaments connect bones to each other. At the ends of bones are smooth, gliding joint surfaces which make possible easy, painless movement. A joint consists of a fibrous sheath attached to the smooth ends of the bones. Nature also provides, for the ends of those bones that take part in body movements, a special material, cartilage, which has a resiliency and smoothness that enable fingers, arms, and legs to move many thousands of times daily without making us conscious of their activities. To bind bones together and strengthen the joints, there is a special type of tough "binding cord" called tendon. Tendons are so firmly attached to the bones that only an exceptional strain will tear them away.

A final element in the smooth, effective movement of joints is the bursa. This is a sac or bag with smooth surfaces which contains a small amount of lubricating material. Everyday care of the joints, ligaments and bursas is important. An injured joint, torn ligament, or inflamed bursa-as anyone who has ever suffered one knows-can interfere seriously with enjoyment of life and may ~en be incapacitating. It's essential that you work with, not against, nature so you impose no extra stress on joints, ligaments, and bursas. For one thing, that means maintenance of normal weight; gross over- weight overloads the joints of knees and feet every time you stand or walk.

Good posture also is important for keeping joints in good condition, distributing weight as nature engineered the body to handle it. And good physical condition, which helps to assure good muscle tone, helps to avoid undue strain. We suggest that, in connection with proper care of joints, ligaments, and bursas, you read sections of this book dealing with posture and exercise (page 80) and weight reduction (page 59) if you are over- weight. Everyone should know the proper technique for lifting objects -by bending the knees and bringing into play the leg muscles to help with the lifting rather than relying entirely upon the muscles of the back.

There are many injuries and diseases that can affect the bones, joints, ligaments, and bursas. These are discussed later in this book-e.g., arthritis and rheumatism, fractures, backaches, bursitis, bone diseases.