The first thing to know, before its meaning, is the etymological origin of the term biomechanics. From the same we can establish that it has Greek origin because it is the result of the sum of three elements of that language:
-The noun “bios”, which can be translated as “life”.
-The word “mekhane”, which is synonymous with “machine”.
-The suffix “-ico”, which is used to indicate “relative to”.
Starting from its components, it is established that biomechanics literally means “relative to the machine of life” or “relative to the machine of living beings”.
According to DigoPaul, the biomechanics is discipline – oriented implementation of the laws that are part of the orbit of the mechanical to the composition and movement of living organisms.
It can be said that biomechanics analyzes the mechanical and kinematic phenomena that are evident in beings that have life. That is why its object of study are the physical actions carried out by living beings, from their origins to their effects. The properties of the bones, the circulation of the blood and the functioning of the muscles are among his subjects of interest.
The biomedicine, the anatomy, the engineering and physiology are some of the fields that combine knowledge in the field of biomechanics, which studies the behavior of living bodies and seeks to solve problems arising from different conditions.
It is no less important to know that there are a series of elements that are fundamental for biomechanics, for its development of tasks and studies:
-The moment, that is, the result of a speed and a mass with respect to displacement.
-The movement, the movement of a body through space.
-The balance, also called stability.
-The force, which is the push that causes a body to accelerate.
-The levers.
The creation of prostheses and artificial organs is one of the best known applications of biomechanics. This scientific specialization can also, through mathematical models, achieve the simulation of physical phenomena through the manipulation of multiple parameters.
It is possible to recognize different sub-disciplines in biomechanics. Among them, we can mention sports biomechanics (focused on sports activities to optimize the performance of athletes), forensic biomechanics (which specializes in the mechanisms of injury suffered by bodies in the event of impacts or incidents), medical biomechanics (seeks solutions for multiple pathologies) and physiotherapeutic biomechanics (attempts to reverse the poor functioning of the skeleton and muscles).
In the same way, we cannot ignore the existence of occupational biomechanics. The function of this is to study the interaction of the human body with the closest environment. Hence, it is in charge of thoroughly analyzing how the body is affected by tool handling, vehicle driving, weight lifting, work, household chores… Precisely for this reason, it is considered that biomechanics is also closely related to ergonomics.
