As a child, we learn songs that help teach us important things. Songs such as the "Alphabet Song" helped us to learn our ABC's, and Elmo's "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" helped us to remember important body parts.  But what about our bones and joints?  Luckily, there was a song created for that too. Everyone has heard the nursery rhyme that proclaims, "Your ankle bone connected to your leg bone; your leg bone connected to your knee bone; your knee bone connected to your thigh bone…," and so the song goes.  It's a great way for kids to learn how all of the joints in the human body connect. As an adult, once you reach the age of 30, 40, 50 and beyond, that song begins to take on an entirely new meaning—especially if one portion of the kinetic chain becomes hurt or injured.

Movement Quality of the Body:  Understanding The Kinetic Chain

Movement quality of the body is the result of multiple joints working in a coordinated sequence within the kinetic chain.  This chain refers to the fact that every connected bone in the human body was created for a specific reason, and is intended to work in a certain way.  These moving segments are structurally and functionally linked at the joints, intended for the body to move smoothly and proportionately. This concept is known as, "kinetic health", a term used by Opedix to depict this moving relationship.

Understanding the Correlation Between Kinetic Health and Joint Pain

There are many things that can disrupt the kinetic chain, leading to the body not moving as it should.  A previous musculoskeletal injury, muscular overuse and fatigue, muscle tightness, poor equipment, and poor form during athletics can distort the information that is recorded in the brain that essentially tells the body how to move.  When the body does not move as it should, a progressive dysfunction occurs in the patterns of our movement system.  When this occurs, muscle fatigue is increased which puts stress on the joints to work harder. The result:  joint pain is increased, athletic performance is reduced, and the body essentially becomes exposed to additional risks and the progressive destruction of our joints.

Joint Injury Prevention: Kinetic Health Technology

While medical experts agree that a consistent strengthening and conditioning program is essential to kinetic health in athletes, integrating kinetic health apparel and joint support sportswear into an individual's everyday training, can help decrease joint pain and prevent serious knee injuries and other joint-related conditions.

Based on scientific and biomechanical data, orthopedic researchers and sports medicine specialists are finding that many musculoskeletal disorders are responding to simple prevention techniques that are created to improve bodily motion and enhance muscle function so that the recovery of the body's kinetic health can return to a normal state.  One such inaugural product is knee support tights and athletic compression apparel. 

Through a patented "Load Distribution" Technology, knee support tights for runners and skiers helps guide proper joint motion so that the body experiences less wear and tear while performing more efficiently.

Lab tests prove that knee support tights can reduce knee unloading by 16%.  The test was performed on a group of 10 athletic individuals during walking and running, both with and without knee support tights. Using high-speed cameras, force sensors, and clinical observation, the study provided scientific validation that knee support tights influences joint function leading to the promotion of kinetic health.  On a similar study performed on over 350 professional skiers throughout well-known ski resorts, quadriceps fatigue and recovery was reduced by 25% when skiing with knee support tights.

There are many prevention techniques to consider when it comes to protecting your joints during athletic activities. Joint support systems are proven to reduce destructive knee forces, quadriceps fatigue, and knee pain during high demand action sports. This allows athletes to play longer and stronger.