How Does the Skeleton Move?
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Hinge Joints
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The human skeleton's range of movements depends on its joints--literally where bones join with each other. One of the more obvious of such joints is the hinge joint, of which is expressed every time we flex our elbows or knees.
Ball and Socket
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There are four primary ball and socket joints in the human body, at both shoulders and both hips. They allow the widest range of motion in the human body, offering lateral, vertical and rotational movement across a much wider range than any other individual joint.
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Glide Joints
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Glide joints allow the sliding of bone over each other. These are primarily found in the hands and feet of the skeleton, and while are limited in range of motion, offer overall flexibility across a surface.
Pivot Joint
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Pivot joints allow rotation along an axis, such as that which is utilized by our skull and spine. The two bones of the forearm also utilize a pivoting motion, but rotate around each other.
Overall Movement
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The simplest actions, such as picking up an apple and bringing it to your mouth, is actually a complex orchestra of multiple joints working in tandem. Even grasping the apple utilizes the full range of hinge and gliding joints found in your hand.
Health Concerns
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Repeated activity on a limited set of joints can wear down the protective cartilage between the joints, or even damage them and surrounding tissue. The most common form of this, especially in current times, would be carpal tunnel syndrome, where bad posture and excessive typing causes inflamed tissue to increase pressure on the median nerve of the hand, causing pain.
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