FAQs

Soft tissues in our body are largely our muscles, ligaments, tendons, connective tissues and blood vessels.

Ligaments are tough bands of a specialised type of fibrous connective tissue. They are mostly made of fibres of collagen, which is a really strong inelastic but flexible material capable of resisting the force of being pressed or pulled strenuously. These fibres are normally organised into dense bundles to increase their strength.

Ligaments act like a chain links between the bones, connecting them together but allowing for movement of each individual segment. They don’t have a very good blood supply and therefore any damage to them takes longer to heal than muscle.

Ligaments act like ties connecting adjacent bones together. They help control the free movement of bones but only within their normal range of motion. Once the limit of movement has been reached, ligaments will restrict further movement to prevent any damage to the bones. For example, your knee will bend one way but it won't bend the other way because your ligaments prevent this.

Ligaments will also restrict too much movement in the joints and provide stability of them. This is particularly the case when joints are in motion as they will assist to withstand and resist weight and force that might be subjected to them and reduce potential damage.

Tendons are strong, bright white pieces of connective tissue. Their length varies depending on location and they also differ between people. Tendons can be found at the end of your muscles and they attach the muscle to bone. So one end of the tendon attaches to the muscle and the other end attaches to bone, resulting in the connection between a muscle and a bone. Tendons can also attach muscles to muscles as well as attaching muscle to other structures in the body, such as the eyeballs for example. There are two tendons per muscle.

Tendons are fibrous, tough cords largely made up of collagen fibres, which are organised into neatly arranged parallel bundles. This arrangement ensures the tendons are strong so that they can withstand tension that is put upon them. The collagen also adds flexibility to enable joints to bend.

Tendons are mostly in place to assist with movement of the bones and can also help maintain good posture of the body. They are, to a certain extent, flexible which helps with this. Tendons have the capability of withstanding tension and resisting force where muscle moves toward or away from the bone, meaning they act as a shock absorber to reduce damage to the muscle. Although the elasticity of tendons is normally only about 5 percent, this is sufficient to allow for stability.

For example, the Achilles tendon which sits at the back of the heel of the foot will allow for movement of the calf muscles by applying force to the muscles, the muscle then spring into action and consequently move the bone in your lower leg and allowing you to walk.

Skeletal muscles work in conjunction with the bones and joints and are responsible for producing movement of the body, such as walking, running, talking, swimming and grasping items such as cutlery or pens. They are the only type of muscle that can be moved consciously. They are stimulated by the nervous system. They provide shape and support for your body, distribute stress, help to stabilise your joints and keeps your bones in the right place. They help to maintain our body posture, keeping us in the correct position and holding the body up throughout the day which is important for tasks such as sitting and standing as well as keeping your head upright using the muscles in the neck.

They can assist with regulating the temperature of the body. When we move our muscles they contract and generate heat and it is thought that 85 percent of body heat is a result of muscles contracting. The involuntary act of shivering is a result of muscle contractions which can help to increase body temperature.

Skeletal muscle is also important in respiration. The diaphragm contracts and relaxes, allowing for inhalation and exhalation to take place. Where skeletal muscle is positioned close to deep veins, pressure is put on the veins acting as a pump system which promotes blood flow towards the heart. Skeletal muscle contractions also encourage the flow of lymph.