JOINT TISSUE FUNCTION OF YOGA

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Of the five main types of joint tissue: muscle, bone, tendon, ligament, and cartilage; muscle and bone tissue have the greatest blood supply, and heal most quickly if damaged. At the other end of the spectrum, cartilage receives no blood supply and heals the slowest when traumatized. 

JOINT TISSUE FUNCTION OF YOGA

The rate of healing of most body tissue is directly related to the degree of blood vessel supply. The circulatory system is the transport infrastructure that services the joints, and the blood cells are the transport vehicles that bring oxygen, nutrition, and remove waste. The greater the blood supply, therefore, the faster the healing process. 

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Cartilage, however, does not have the ability to heal itself, it relies on a completely different mechanism. Cartilage is a tough, jelly-like substance that covers the articulating surfaces of joints. Within this jelly are pockets where cells live. These cells can divide and multiply adding layers of cartilage from within. The articulating joints are surrounded by a liquid filled capsule that bathes the joint with a lubricating fluid called synovial fluid. The inside of the capsule contains cells that release nutrients into this synovial fluid, and remove waste products from the fluid. The cartilage cells, therefore, clean and repair themselves via the synovial fluid rather than a direct blood supply. 

Joint integration - preventing yoga injuries 

An important distinction to be made between blood and synovial fluid, however, is that blood has a pump, the heart, that keeps blood moving at approximately 72 beats per minute, 5,700 liters per day. Synovial fluid does not have a pump to keep the fluid circulating, it depends on movement to keep it fresh. This mechanism is often referred to as the ‘joint-pump’. Much like stirring sugar in coffee, joint movement circulates the synovial fluid, enabling it to seep through the cartilage, nourishing the cells and removing cell waste. This is a practical mechanism, as long as a joint keeps moving. Asana practice is a fantastic way to mobilize joints and to maintain optimum function of the ‘joint-pump’.