食事を想定したリーチ動作

抄録

Table manners are as important as just eating a meal. With the spread of food culture, Japanese culture has been influenced by overseas eating habits. The upper limb is moved into a certain position to have a meal. When performing functional therapy, a knowledge of these movement chains is important because the shoulder, elbow, forearm, wrist, and finger joints are mutually related. In clinical practice, the relationship between the joints is immediately noticeable by movement compensation that is generally recognized and helpful to gauge the effects of physical therapy. However, the exercise chain of the forearm, elbow, and shoulder joints may not display obvious movement compensation, thereby making it difficult to detect functional decline. The movement used to pick up food with chopsticks, a fork, or a hand during meals is known as the reach movement. There are two types of reach movement: of a range that is smaller than the length of the arms, or beyond the length of the arms. Generally, the movement used during meals is mainly of the former type, but the latter type may also be used in some food cultures. This report describes the exercise chain of the forearm, elbow, and shoulder joints, and the movement chain involving the trunk and the shoulder girdle, in consideration of these factors.