As we reach middle age, we become more aware of our joints. Years of youthful activities, like popping shoulders out of their sockets and bending elbows backward, have led to long-term consequences. High-impact sports have also taken a toll on our imperfect skeletons.
Now, we find ourselves enduring physical therapy, desperately trying to preserve our ability to bend, twist, and move. It’s not just the major joints like hips, knees, and shoulders that remind us of our age, but also the smaller joints that suddenly demand attention. The vertebrae, intervertebral discs, joints between teeth and jaw, and the pelvis joint all show signs of wear and tear. These joints become stiff, arthritic, and painful, making simple movements a challenge.
It’s easy to blame our joints for being weak or old, but in reality, they are a testament to the triumph of anatomy. Joints allow us to bend without breaking.
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Joints are crucial for movement, and evolution has developed them independently at least twice. Arthropods have their own version of joints in their exoskeletons, allowing them to bend and scuttle. Our internal skeleton likely originated from ancient external bony scales. Modern vertebrae are essentially a stack of joints separated by intervertebral discs. Joints have been crucial for mobility since before humans emerged from the sea, enabling various forms of animal locomotion.
Joints are more than just where bones meet. They contain connective tissue, cartilage, and bursas that cushion and lubricate movements, ensuring flexibility and ease of motion.
Our bodies rely on joints in ways we often overlook until they start to fail. From arthritis in aging joints to dental alveolar syndesmoses between teeth and jaws, joints play a vital role in our daily experiences. They enable us to move, balance, and withstand pressure.
Despite the wear and tear on our joints over time, they continue to support us, adapting and responding to the demands we place on them. Joints remind us that flexibility is a form of strength.
This is an opinion and analysis article, and the views expressed by the author or authors are not necessarily those of Scientific American.
