The musculoskeletal system is a system consisting of muscles, connective tissue, nerves, and bones and joints. This system plays an important role in body movement. Therefore, if the musculoskeletal system is disturbed, the ability to move and carry out activities can be disrupted.
With the musculoskeletal system, the body can move and carry out various activities, such as walking, running, swimming, to as simple as picking up an object.
The musculoskeletal system also plays a role in shaping posture and body shape and protecting various important organs, such as the brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, and liver.
Anatomy of the Musculoskeletal System
The musculoskeletal system is composed of various parts and tissues of the body, namely:
1. Bones
Bone is one of the main parts in the musculoskeletal system which functions to support and give shape to the body, support body movement, protect body organs, and store the minerals calcium and phosphorus. Adults generally have about 206 bones.
Bone consists of an outer and an inner layer. The outer layer of bone has a hard texture and is made of protein, collagen, and various minerals, including calcium.
Meanwhile, the inside of the bone has a softer texture and contains bone marrow, which is where red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets or blood platelets are produced.
2. Joints
A joint is a connection between two bones. Some joints can be moved, but some are not.
Examples of immovable joints are the joints in the skull plate. Meanwhile, movable joints include the joints of the fingers and toes, elbows, wrists, shoulders, jaws, hips, knees, and ankles.
3. Muscles
There are three types of muscles that are part of the musculoskeletal system, namely skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle, and smooth muscle.
Skeletal muscles are muscles that attach to bones and joints. This muscle can stretch and contract when the body moves, such as when walking, grasping objects, or when changing body position, such as bending and straightening an arm or leg.
Meanwhile, smooth muscle is a type of muscle found in body organs, such as the digestive tract and blood vessels. Smooth muscle activity is regulated by autonomic nerves, so they can work automatically.
Just like smooth muscle, cardiac muscle also works automatically in pumping blood throughout the body, but the structure of this muscle tissue is similar to skeletal muscle.
In the digestive tract, smooth muscle is responsible for moving the intestines so that food and drink can be digested, then excreted as feces. In blood vessels, smooth muscle is responsible for regulating blood flow by widening or constricting blood vessels.
4. Cartilage
Cartilage is a type of connective tissue that covers joints. In addition to being between bone joints, cartilage is also present in the nose, ears, and lungs.
Cartilage has a firm structure, but is more supple and flexible, unlike skeleton. Cartilage prevents bones and joints from rubbing against each other and acts as a physical damper when the body is injured.
5. Ligaments
Ligaments are connective tissues that connect bones and joints. Ligaments consist of elastic fibers composed of protein. This connective tissue serves to support joints, such as the knees, ankles, elbows, and shoulders, and allows movement of the body.
6. Tendons
Tendons are thick and fibrous connective tissue that serves to connect muscles to bones. Tendons are found throughout the body, from the head, neck, to the feet.
There are many types of tendons and one of them is the Achilles tendon, the largest tendon in the body. This tendon attaches the calf muscles to the heel bone and allows the foot and leg to move. Meanwhile, the tendon rotator cuff on the shoulder serves to support the movement of the shoulder and arm.
How the Musculoskeletal System Works
When you want to move your body, your brain sends signals through your nervous system to activate skeletal muscles.
After receiving an impulse or stimulation from the brain, the muscles will contract. Contraction of these muscles will pull the tendons and bones to make the body move.
Meanwhile, to relax the muscles, the nervous system will send messages to the muscles to relax and relax. Relaxed muscles will stop contracting, so body movements will also stop.
Various Disorders of the Musculoskeletal System
Disorders of the musculoskeletal system can cause various complaints, ranging from pain, muscle or joint stiffness, to difficulty moving. There are many disorders or diseases that can occur in the musculoskeletal system, including:
- Injuries, such as fractures, dislocations, muscle injuries, and sprains
- Bone deformities, for example due to injury, osteoporosis, degenerative diseases, genetic disorders, and tumors or cancer
- Osteomyelitis or infection of the bone and surrounding tissue
- Joint disorders, such as arthritis, ligament tears, bursitis, joint dislocations, and joint pain
- Disorders of the knee joint, including meniscus injuries and tears in the knee ligaments
- Muscle problems, such as muscle tears, muscle atrophy, hamstring injuries, and sarcopenia or loss of muscle mass due to aging
- Autoimmune diseases, eg rheumatoid arthritis, vasculitis, ankylosing spondylitis, and lupus
How to Maintain a Healthy Musculoskeletal System
In order for the musculoskeletal system to function properly, you need to maintain the health of this system and the health of the body as a whole. The method is as follows:
- Do exercise regularly, for example by walking, swimming, weight training, yoga, or Pilates.
- Improve your posture, by getting used to sitting and standing up straight.
- Maintain an ideal body weight to reduce excess stress on bones and joints.
- Eat a balanced nutritious diet, especially foods that contain calcium, protein, and vitamin D, to keep bones strong.
- Quit smoking and reduce consumption of alcoholic beverages.
In addition, you also need to undergo regular health checks (check-up) to the doctor to monitor the condition of the musculoskeletal system. This examination is important, especially in people who are elderly because they are more at risk of developing bone problems, such as osteoporosis.
The musculoskeletal system has a very big role in body movement and the ability to move. In addition, the inhibition of movement can cause general health problems.
Therefore, if you experience complaints related to the musculoskeletal system, such as pain when moving or muscles feel stiff, immediately consult a doctor.