Happy New Year
Welcome to 2013,a New Year with new beginnings! I hope the festive period was a fun and relaxing time.
With the business still steadily growing,opening hours are increasing,allowing daytime appointments. Full opening hours are found on the back page,but please ask if you would like other times as it may be possible.
April will see a slight increase in prices unfortunately. Sport massage sessions will cost £20,£29 and £36 for 30,45 and hour sessions repectively. Initial consultations will increase to £36. There are still lots of discount opportunities with AFC Kempston and Bedford Leisure Cards or discount packages. Offers can also be found on facebook (EliteTherapy Kempston).
Heart Anatomy
The human heart is roughly the size of a clenched fist and is located in the centre of the body in the ribcage. More technically,its located obliquely within the mediastinum of the thorax¹.
The heart is enclosed within a double sac,the outer fibrous pericardium and the inner serous pericardium. Layers of the heart (from outer to inner) are the epicardium,myocardium and endocardium.
The chambers of the heart are the atria and the ventricles. There are 2 of each and act as a double pump.
The superior and inferior vena cava and the coronary sirus enter the right atrium with 4 pulmunary veins entering the left atrium. The right ventricle pumps blood through the pulmonary trunk and the left ventricle through the aorta.
Movements of the Forearm, Hand and Arm
The forearm, arm and hand work in combination to provide a lot of different movements. One of the main reasons is that the limbs are very dexterous. Specific movements require lots of different combinations, which are provided in the range of movements of the muscles of the forearms and hands. Below are the joints, their movements and the main muscles that provide that movement.
| Joint | Movement | Major Muscles Used |
| Elbow | Flexion | Biceps Brachii, Brachialis, Brachioradialis |
| Extension | Triceps Brachii | |
| Forearm | Pronation | Pronator Teres, Pronator Quadratus |
| Supination | Biceps Brachii, Supinator | |
| Wrist | Flexion | Flexor Carpi Group, Palmaris Longus |
| Extension | Extensor Carpi Group | |
| Abduction | Carpi Radialis | |
| Adduction | Carpi Ulnaris | |
| Hand and Fingers | Flexion (2nd-5th fingers) | Flexor Digitorum group |
| Extension (2nd-5th fingers) | Extensor Digitorum group | |
| Thumb | Opposition | Opponeus Pollicis |
| Flexion | Flexor Pollicis group | |
| Extension | Extensor Pollicis group |
Quick Facts
1. “The Greek philosopher Herophilus named the last segments of the vertebrae “kokkyx” as he thought it looked like a cuckoo’s beak.”
2. “The Palmaris Longus muscle is absent in about 11% of the population”
3. “When we stand, the entire weight of our trunk, head and arms is transferred through your vertebrae.”
References
1. Marieb, E.N., Human Anatomy and Physiology,5th Edition, 2001, Benjamin Cummings, New York.
2. Biel, A., Trail Guide to The Body,3rd Edition, 2005, Books of Discovery, Winnipeg.