I Need Advice about anatomy

[Pompal 09.]

I have been in MT school for about 3 months in NJ and I am having a hard time retaining  the information about  Anatomy (mostly muscles orgins and insertions) my frustrations are growing larger because I study everday but when I take the test I fail. The worst part is that I know the information but the test is nothing like what I study for. I mean the wording is different and I can't comprehend so I get the answers wrong . I don't blame my teacher because it alot to teach and she has to go by the schools curriculum but the majority of the class fails. I already talked to my teacher and she suggested of few ideas. Does anyone else have any advice about learning this subject

 

[EzLover23]

I Need Advice about anatomy

Well, are you dominantly a visual, auditory or kinesthetic learner? If the latter (like me), try having someone palpate the muscles you were having difficulty with. Let him tell you their origins and insertions as he goes along so you can easily remember where your muscles go when you take the test. My acupuncturist sings the meridian names when she works on me and I remember them without even trying.

 

[get go]

Hi there,I don't know what you are allready using for methods of study but for me I made flash cards of each muscle and also was part of a study group where we would trace on each others bodies the O & I's and my husband would quiz me too with the flash cards.  I carried those cards everywhere with me and would go over them for 10-15 minutes at a time while waiting in line at the bank drive-thru, dr's appointments waiting, stop lights, even had them set on my desk at work.  It seems really hard right now and I remember how totally lost I would feel in the beginning but soon it will start to click and you WILL get it.  Be patient with yourself.  Get into a study group and be sure to be there for every get together.  and Breathe

 

[Inzane]

I Need Advice about anatomy

Well, are you dominantly a visual, auditory or kinesthetic learner? If the latter (like me), try having someone palpate the muscles you were having difficulty with. Let him tell you their origins and insertions as he goes along so you can easily remember where your muscles go when you take the test. My acupuncturist sings the meridian names when she works on me and I remember them without even trying.

Got to go with David here on this one. Do you have a dominant learning style? If you know what it is... try to figure out how to cater to it.

Or at the very least try to learn the same info in several different learning styles.

Our anatomy teacher had us keep learning journals, he brought in his son's legos and other materials so we could "Build Models" of various things or systems depending on the chapter we were learning.

Our school also provided some "Maniken's" so that we could shape in clay and apply the muscles in layers... Like this:

http://www.pilatesontour.com/AIC/AIC.htm

We were segmented into groups of 3 to do the Maniken anatomy class.

Also before each class our muscles and bones teacher had us recite an affirmation which I believe she learned from the Atlanta School of Massage, "Today, everything I read, hear, see and do will come to conscious memory by desire."

We'd recite it before studying and before taking our quizes and tests too.

Try to break it down to explain it to a lay person...

Hopefully some of these techniques will work for you!

 

[Dee Cee]

I Need Advice about anatomy

maestra - 'explaining to a lay person'...great idea. I never thought of applying the same principle to muscles, etc., as I do to giving instruction re: client self-care exercises.Adding to the study group idea: you might try to get one of each type of learning style together and study with each other. That way, each of you will help stimulate the others while augmenting your own style.

 

[loz]

I Need Advice about anatomy

Found some links that I probably originally found here in the Student section that I thought I'd repost since it's most likely been, lost...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/body/interactives/3djigsaw_02/main.shtml

^ Very fun, I could spend quite awhile "playing" this fun anatomy game!

http://orthopedics.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=orthopedics&zu=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.innerbody.com%2Fhtm%2Fbody.html

^ Something like Pin the Muscle on the Human... LOL

You never know... between breaking it down for the "lay person" and just "having fun" you might... "Accidentally" learn something!

 

[ladedamom]

Where are you in NJ?  and what school are you attending?  You might want to consider getting a  tutor.  You can PM me if you don't want to post it openly on the forum.

 

[Captain Jean-Luc Picard]

Thank you everyone for your replies and  the websites.

 

[MississippiQueen]

I Need Advice about anatomy

it is easier said than done...read the question 3 times before you answer...stop...think about it and then answer...this may also helphttp://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html

 

[Doctor]

GET A SKELETON!  They really do help.  I got great marks in anatomy after I started using my skeleton.  I am visual learner tho...  HTH.-Krystyne

 

[IWillWaterBoardScottWhite]

I Need Advice about anatomy

more fun anatomy links:

http://www.medtropolis.com/VBody.asp

Skeletal system:
http://www.bio.psu.edu/people/faculty/strauss/anatomy/skel/skeletal.htm

Muscle Tutorial:
http://www.gwc.maricopa.edu/class/bio201/muscle/mustut.htm

Cute Little Anatomy Quiz:
http://vilenski.org/science/humanbody/hb_html/selftest/muscle/index.html

Master Muscle List:
http://www.meddean.luc.edu/lumen/MedEd/GrossAnatomy/dissector/mml/index.htm

 

[Liz S]

Try getting the Trail Guide to the human body.  It is a great book that tells you everything you need to know(anatomy wise) and it tells you how to palpate each muscle.  This book couple with a palpating exercise is how I think I learned the best, and it sounds like im the same type of learner as you.  Do you know your meyers briggs letters?   In my class we actually cut out and colored the muscles, and taped them in their respective locations on skeletons, we also put long johns on and drew in the muscles on our classmates.  These seemed like great ways to learn for me any ways.  Also when you do massage just imagine yourself tracing over every muscle during it.  maybe even say the name of the muscle to yourself as your moving accross the body   Chris

 

[Brooke D]

I'm also having trouble in my anatomy class and these posts have given me great ideas.  We have 3 books for this one class, we have the Trail Guide, Musculoskeletal, and then a classroom text also.  We just started so we just covered the larger bones; the ribs, mandible, etc.  We have not gotten in to great detail and I have been studying about every day so I do not get behind.

 

[Pompal 09.]

I Need Advice about anatomy

Are you able to point out attachments and muscles on yourself or other bodies when asked? If so, perhaps your teacher would be willing to test you that way.In many of my classes, those who weren't comfortable with the written test format were able to take the test interactively with the teacher or TA.Also, our anatomy teacher was constantly experimenting with better ways to test, including pointing things out on an actual skeleton and having us write them down, having us get in pairs and point things out on each other as she watched, etc.

 

[SNFcj (Back on my grind)]

All of the tips you have been given are great ones....but....you stated that the majority of the class are failing these tests.  That in itself means that there is either something very wrong with the way the material is being taught, or with the way the test is written.

 

[nik_oops]

Learning Anatomy

I have been instructing massage technique and anatomy for many years. Previous comments concerned the "type" of learning that works for you. Here is are simple suggestions.

First: Talk it out. You give a lecture. Often we read, make flash cards, take sample tests, but what works best is to talk the talk. Take the information and put it into your words. When you can explain something, you then own it.

Second: Take small bites. There is alot of stuff to learn with anatomy. Take it one muscle, one organ, one system at a time.

 

[Justxme]

All of these suggestions are great. The more diverse ways of viewing/reading the material, the better. For example, in addition to writing out the OIAs longhand, try typing it in word (don't worry about the typing accuracy thing) and then setting up a table in Excel (if you have it - or create a chart in longhand): on the left, write down the muscles and in the columns, write the insertion site(s). Another way to think of the OIAs is by attacking the As first. Find out the actions and then try to logically think where the OIs would need to be in order to accomplish the action(s). Approaching it from this perspective may enable you to learn from your errors.

Good luck with your study.

 

[baby face]

I saw one set of anatomy links that you could click on and they would take you right there. I can't find it though....Please help.

 

[Clown Keeper]

Hi njones13 (and anybody else who is having difficulty remembering the muscle O&Is.
Try this link and see if it helps....

http://www.rmtstudents.com/anatomy.html

I have been a practicing Registered Massage Therapist in Canada for a few years, and when I was in school, I and my classmates all had the same issues remembering muscle origins and insertions....

So when I graduated, I decided to create something to make it easy for students to review the info and prepare for exams.

The website http://www.rmtstudents.com has a online study/review guide for students that makes it easy to go over the muscle O&Is (as well as other topics of interest to massage students). The study guide is absolutely free, and you dont have to register or leave any info. Its there for you to look at anytime you need a quick review.

Feel free to check the site and let me know if it has helped. Id love to hear any feedback or suggestions as well.

 

[Chris Newbie]

Luckily, we have teachers that like to TELL you about the muscles and then SHOW you where they are. We have a palpatory portion and get taught how to do muscle energy techniques where we do muscle contractions with the client (in our case - fellow classmates) on a specific target muscle or its aneforum.xxxonist.

Another way I learned them was with flashcards, I made my own. And there is a pretty nifty book called Consice Book Of Muscles that has very good diagrams about the muscles and even gives you a "workout" so that you can see how that muscle stretches in your body.

I believe that hands on learning is the way to go if you're going to be a successful bodyworker. One thing is to know where the muscle is on paper, another is to know how to find it on a body. Definately get a partner and feel around for the muscle and learn its action. Often the action will help you figure out the origin and insertion.

Jackie