Ch. 2.1: The Importance of Motion

All our actions, everything we do as human beings and soft tissue therapists, are rooted in motion and our anatomy.

Written by

Willem Kramer

Published on

June 20, 2025

Motion, “the action or process of moving,” according to the web-based Cambridge Dictionary®, is the virtual Gorilla Glue® of the human body. It binds everything without exception, directly and indirectly, vital and non-vital. 

It might sound crazy, but every part of us is involved in motion.

Motion depends on every system and all its parts working together smoothly. Even one muscle, joint, nerve, blood vessel, or digestive organ that doesn't work well can act as a "wrench in the gears," disrupting movement and ultimately causing pain. This shows that movement is truly a whole-body experience.

Willem Kramer

Motion is the result of all our organ systems working together. Directly and indirectly, a lot and a little, noticeable and unnoticeable, all our organ systems play a role.

  • Integumentary (skin).
  • Muscular (muscles and deep fasciae).
  • Skeletal (bones and joints).
  • Nervous (peripheral and central).
  • Circulatory aka cardiovascular (heart, arteries, veins).
  • Lymphatic (immune).
  • Respiratory (lungs).
  • Digestive (stomach, intestines, etc.).
  • Urinary aka renal (kidneys).
  • Endocrine (hormones).
  • Reproductive.

Motion depends on every system and all its parts working together smoothly. Even one muscle, joint, nerve, blood vessel, or digestive organ that doesn't work well can act as a "wrench in the gears," disrupting movement and ultimately causing pain. This shows that movement is truly a whole-body experience.

Motion is not only an expression of wholeness, but it is also an evidence-based metric. You can see it, feel it, do it, evaluate it, and measure it. 

And because it's an evidence-based metric, we, as soft tissue therapists, can treat, train, and improve it. As soft tissue therapists, motion is an essential part of everything we do.

  • We resolve pain complaints of the movement apparatus.
  • We help clients move pain-free and better.
  • We evaluate and diagnose using motion.
  • We treat by moving skin, muscles, and joints with our hands and exercises.

In summary, everything we do as human beings and soft tissue therapists is fundamentally connected to motion and our anatomy.

Illustrating this connection was not easy, but I found a way to do it.

By applying the anatomical planes of motion and their axes to the human body, "Anatomy by Planes" presents traditional anatomy through a pair of orange, motion-colored glasses.

Theoretically, "Anatomy by Planes" is a comprehensive, visual, soft tissue therapy reference guide that shows the interconnectivity of the human body through motion. Practically, this atlas shows you which skin, muscles, and joints to treat and exercise when movement hurts.

Ultimately, by merging human anatomy and motion, “Anatomy by Planes” provides you with a valuable two-in-one resource.

5 1 vote
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

0 Comments

Author

Willem Kramer is a Netherlands-trained physiotherapist and US-licensed massage therapist with over thirty years of experience working with professional athletes, entertainers, and executives worldwide. He reorganizes anatomy around how the body moves, working from the premise that motion is a whole-body event involving all twelve organ systems within the anatomical planes of motion. He is the author of Anatomy by Planes — a three-atlas set with a foreword by Andrew Luck — and its companion Clinical & Training Guide, and the creator of Motion Anatomy (motionanatomy.com), a free introduction to the framework.

booshop-org-icon_orange-EB801D-hover-637C77

Related posts

Including atlas "Introduction," "Comparison," "Quiz," "Bibliography," and "News" posts.
June 19, 2025

Dissection vs AxP Anatomy: Peroneus Longus & Brevis (L)

Compare dissection anatomy and soft tissue therapy anatomy: The left-sided peroneus longus & brevis evert the “frontal ankle,” are single-complex muscles, have one single-complex synergist, two single-complex antagonists, one multi-complex synergists, and three multi-complex antagonist.
July 30, 2025

Dissection vs AxP Anatomy: Latissimus Dorsi (R)

Compare dissection anatomy and soft tissue therapy anatomy: The right-sided latissimus right rotates the “transverse thoracic,” moves five complexes in total, has three single-complex synergists and antagonists, five multi-complex synergists, and six multi-complex antagonists.
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. For more information you can read our Privacy Policy.