Kinetic Chain

• a kinetic chain is a group of joints working in conjunction with one another to form a chain of motion (like a bicycle chain). 
• "Closed" Chain exercises feature a terminal end that is fixed. 
• Closed kinetic chain exercises tend to produce compressive forces on joints, while open chain exercises tend to produce shearing forces. 
• There's a growing number of professionals in the fields of orthopedic medicine and physical therapy who believe that closed chain exercises may be better at promoting joint stability. Rehabilitation regimens for conditions such as ACL repair have shown an increasing tendency towards incorporating more closed chain exercises (this philosophy shift has been going on for over a decade now) . Knee rehabilitation regimens that used to focus on leg extensions and leg curls are now incorporating more closed chain movements such as step downs and mini-squats. 
• Many closed chain lower-body exercises do an excellent job of engaging the core, while most of the open chain variations simply do not. 
• Performing a weighted squat is going to effectively engage the muscles that support your lower-back in a manner that replicates real-world scenarios. An open chain leg exercise such as the seated leg press just doesn't provide the same level of back strengthening benefits. 
• "Open" chain exercises feature a terminal end that is free or in motion.
• promote flexibility and range of motion

The Problem with the Kinetic Chain Concept

• Not all Links in the Human Body Kinetic Chain are Equally as Important

The first thing that I quickly realized was that unlike the actual “chain” analogy, where if you break one link, the chain is pretty useless, the human body did not act this way.  Not every link in the kinetic chain is equally as important.  

• it’s biggest impact is actually at the joints closest to it, the rest of the foot and ankle.  Those areas are going to be influenced by the stubbed toe a lot more than the shoulder.
• more of a ripple in water than an actual chain.  So, not a chain, but a chain reaction.  I have talked about the Kinetic RIPPLE EFECT -
• the joints closest to the area of dysfunction are going to be most impacted.  
• Take the hip as an example.  Any tightness, weakness, or imbalance of the hip is going to have a large influence on the low back and knee, and a much less impact on joints the further away you get from the hip
• The Kinetic Chain Needs to Include what is Between Each Link

The other big omission I often see people make when considering the kinetic chain is that they think of each link in the chain as a joint.  This is a simplistic version of the kinetic chain in purely the sense of biomechanics an arthrokinematics.  Instead, realize that there are many influence on the kinetic chain between each joint.---This includes the muscles, fascia, ligaments, tendons, and anything else you can think of.  Basically, it’s not just the joints, but also everything in between.

IMPACTS IN YOGA ASANA:

• STABILITY
• instability in a joint will create instability in the joints CLOSEST to them and up the chain
• Instability in the more PROXIMAL JOINTS will create instability in the distal joints in that chain
• Certain joints in the chain are meant to be stable and others mobile for proper alignment.
• yoga requires a balance between mobility and stability
• MOVEMENT
• Mobility in a joint will affect mobility in the next joint in the kinetic chain
• therefore, flexion in the elbow, helps flexion in the shoulder
• flexion in the knee, helps with flexion in the hips
• rotation in the knee helps with rotation in the hips
• rotation at the elbow, helps with rotation at the shoulder.