The Position and Movement of the Human Head and its Relationship to Stability in Artistic Gymnastics

By Nicholas Blanton Abstract: Given the Human Head contains the majority of the sensory organs that deal with body orientation and postural control, it is hypothesised that by controlling head movements more effective skill analysis could be established within Artistic Gymnastics. Examining basic anatomy, scientific research and Gymnastics related principles, an understanding of how head movement could provide coaches and gymnasts with an opportunity for greater understanding of what creates performance stability and nonvariability. The hope is that the reader gains a better appreciation for the role human head movement plays in gymnastics performance and how focusing on it could provide better skill analysis results.

performance? Do variances in stability create an opportunity to focus technical corrections on the position of the head? Or is head position related predominantly to aesthetical presentation during gymnastic performance? The aim is to examine these questions and possibly help establish answers. Reviewing basic anatomy, current research, practical examples and theory based analysis, could give the reader a practical understanding of why variability in a particular movement may have occurred and how to correct it by changing the head position. It is unknown whether head placement, and the opportunity of integrating corrections on the basis of head placement, could provide a reduction in the complexity of skill analysis. Perhaps it could create clearer pathways of progression for coaches and gymnasts alike. This article aims to explore these questions and concepts.

Basic Anatomy
To help understand human head movement, we must first study basic anatomical features of the region and their operations. Head and neck anatomy focuses on the structures of the head and neck of the human body,(1) Being that the head is the most complex anatomical construct in the anatomy of vertebrates (2) to provide a complete overview would be a lengthy process. Only a breif introduction to anatomy of the region will be necessary. The articulation between the Cervical Spine and the Skull is the pinnacle feature of this complex area. The Cervical Spine consists of seven vertabrae. These vertebrae protect the brain stem and the spinal cord, support the skull, and allow for a wide range of head movement.(3) In addition to the cervical region, the thoracic region also maintains a role in the movement of the head, which will be elaborated on later.

Introduction

Human head position serves many purposes in relation to movement during performance of sport. To enhance aesthetics, to secure balance, to stabilise sight, and to create successful muscular links with the rest of the body, are a handful. Science has analysed and experimented with hypotheses about motor control and how humans regulate stability. A consensus does not seem to form on consistent theories and suppositions. It seems that given the complexity of human head movement and its purposes, coupled with the intricacies of movements within sport, contradictions arise in formation of performance stability. Investigating these contradictions allows hope towards understanding motor control with respect to Artistic Gymnastics and could be an enormous benefit to the coach and competitor. Given the human head houses the majority of sensory organs, this paper will seek to analyse its role in relation to gymnastic performance. Could a focus on head position enhance the ability to stabilise performance? To what extent does head movement serve in effecting

their cross sectional areas and pulling directions and they also contain differing proportions of fast and slow fiber types and have highly specialized patterns of fiber architecture and motor unit distribution. (7) Considerations of musculoskeletal organization become particularly important when studying head movements because the movements themselves can be biomechanically complex. Head movements are often executed around several cervical joints at once. (7) This could better be illustrated from a practical example. Humans can look down in many ways. Flexing the neck downwards to subsequently move the head down could utilize the cervical vertebrae and sub occipital muscles, the thoracic vertebrae and intervertebral muscles, or perhaps a combination of both. Examining various head movements and their relationship to biomechanics during performance could be an optimistic approach to simplifying skill analysis.. However, given the complexity of the region and endless possibilities of movements, one can begin to respect the intentions of showing caution in advocating a concrete stance on whether this would be successful or not.

Figure 1 (4) The top two vertebrae in the spinal column are specialized to allow the head a greater range of movement than would be possible with normal vertebrae. A stable ball-and-socket joint accommodates both side-to-side and up-anddown motion. (5) These two vertabrae are known as the Axis and Atlas

Figure 2 (6) The articulation of the skull to the C1 and C2 allows the head to move in different directions.

Different Movements
Let us define some general head movements in standing positions and in handstand positions: Flexion - when the vertebrae in the thoracic/ cervical regions coordinate with the muscles in the sub occipital/intervertebral regions to tilt the chin downwards so it contacts the chest area, the neck is flexed.

The Creation of Head Movement

Physical movement of the head is a heterogeneous, complex arrangement of muscles and motor neuron recruitment. Functional muscle movements of the head can be divided into two major groups, a group of sub occipital muscles that act across the specialized rostral joints between the skull and C2, and a group of more caudally located intervertebral muscles that interlink the various processes of vertebrae C2 through T1 (7) These two groups of muscles aid in production of head movement. Understanding these particular muscles and vertebrae is the key to creating movement is vital, but the complexity of this region cannot be underestimated. Individual muscles vary in

Extension when the vertebrae in the thoracic/ cervical regions coordinate with the muscles in

the sub occipital/intervertebral regions to tilt the head back, the neck is extended.

The head carries most of the sensory systems that enable us to function effectively in our three-dimensional habitat. Without adequate head movement control, efficient spatial orientation and motor responses to visual and auditory stimuli could not be carried out. (7) It is the effectiveness of this movement that allows humans the ability to maintain postural control and refine visual stability during performance. Developing this fundamental control is governed by three main interrelated systems The Vestibular System, The Visual System, and The Somatosensory System.

Rotation left/right when the vertebrae in the thoracic/ cervical regions coordinate with the muscles in the sub occipital/intervertebral regions to rotate the head right/left.

The Vestibular System

The Vestibular System interacts with other sensory systems particularly the visual and somatosensory systems to perceive the relative motion between self and objects in space and to maintain equilibrium. The ensuing sensory and motor interactions contribute to orientation (8) This system helps regulate head movement and balance. It monitors the forces associated with angular and linear acceleration of the head by means of five organs located within the labyrinth cavities of the temporal bones on each side of the skull. (8) Essentially, the Vestibular System sends signals to the brain about the movement of the body in relation to gravitational pull. Its marvel is the ability to detect acceleration of the human head and compute displacement in regards to time and space based on this detection.

Neutral when the head is in a position that takes on none of the qualities of extension, flexion and rotation.

The extent, to which a head is in, out, left, or right, can be slight or distinct. The movement can also take a multi-position of flexed/extended, and being rotated right/left. Furthermore, there can be more than one vertebral and muscular region producing the movement. Here is an example of such a coordinated movement:

The Visual System

The Visual System is the part of the central nervous system which enables organisms to see. It interprets the information from visible light to build a representation of the world surrounding the body. The visual system accomplishes a number of complex tasks (9) some of which are assessing distances to and between objects; and guiding body movements to visual objects. (9) With relation to head movement the Visual System is of great importance to maintaining

Purposes of Head Movement

postural stability.The eyes are very powerful, but also very demanding - accurate vision requires a "stable platform". So, head movements must help to stabilize vision (11) This stable platform transpires through interaction of the Vestibular and Visual System. The interaction is named the Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex. VOR is a reflex eye movement that stabilizes images on the retina during head movement by producing an eye movement in the direction opposite to head movement, thus preserving the image on the center of the visual field.(10) There are two ways that movements of the head stabilise the VOR following objects and movement compensation. Head movements that serve to follow an object utilising the eyes can be easily understood. Tennis matches are famous for causing thousands of people to turn their heads back and forth at the same time (11). The head movements allow a stabile enough platform for vision to follow an object in an attempt to maintain a visual fix. Movement compensation deals with the eyes maintaining their fix on an object while the body rotates or turns about. Stand in front of a picture on the wall. Look at the picture, and rotate your torso back and forth. As the torso turns, the head rotates on top of it, so that you can continue to look at the picture (11).

characterised by the fact that the gymnasts COM leaves the effective base of support and forms a toppling moment of force of gravity. To return to a position of equilibrium the mechanically most effective movements are in the joints close to the support. So the gymnast normally balances on the beam, using arm movements the performance of which makes the scope of acceptable movements wider. (14) It is a gymnasts proprioception that allows arm movements to correct balance by recognising their relationship to other parts of the body while in balance. Kinesthetic awareness is an external sense and deals with the body and its relationship to space and time. This awareness can be defined as the sense that detects bodily position, weight, or movement of the muscles, tendons, and joints (15). A prime example would be in the performance of a Healy on the Parallel Bars. The hand that needs to catch the bar is often behind the gymnasts field of vision. It is through kinesthetic awareness that the hand contacts the bar successfully and the subsequent backward swing can be initiated. While proprioception and kinesthetic awareness are two separate features of the Somatosensory System the two coordinate together in the quest for stability and awareness. The difference in the two processes is proprioception is an inner sense (the central nervous system) while kinesthetic awareness is an external sense (the body in space and time) (16).

The Somatosensory System

The third major system in the body that allows for motor control and balance stability is the Somatosensory System. Located in the parietal lobe of the cerebal cortex of the brain, this is a diverse sensory system comprising the receptors and processing centres (12) Amongst its many features, most important to gymnasts are proprioception and kinesthetic awareness. Proprioception is the sense that indicates whether the body is moving with required effort, as well as where the various parts of the body are located in relation to each other .(13) An example of this is performance on the balance beam: Loss of equilibrium is

The Interaction of the Three Systems in Performance

A successful interaction of the three systems reviewed creates movement stability and reduces variability. The ability to recreate the same performance in Artistic Gymnastics determines whether one is an expert or novice. Therefore, steadiness of the interaction between the three mentioned systems becomes infinitely vital to expertise. Competitors must be able to recite successful outcomes on a daily basis in the hopes that in competition non-variability is maintained. In the case of this paper, performance stability will be defined as the successful interaction of The

Visual System, The Vestibular System, and The Somatosensory System. Science has given great attention to analysing interactions of the three systems during human movement. Studies have tried to establish what exactly allows orientation while performing movement. According to research, there are certain contradictions in theories and hypothesises as to how humans formulate motor programs to stabilise body orientation. In the study of Bardy and Laurent, 1998 (17), human body orientation was studied in performance of backward somersaults. The goal of the article was to validate the perception-movement coupling approach. This approach states that movement constancy may reflect the functional adaptation of the movement to a continuous flow of information (17). Essentially, research highlighted angular movements can be accommodated by (17) this approach and that they may be considered as a particular class of goal-directed actions. (17) The validation of this approach challenged the theory that explains stability of movement as a result of the adequate parameterization of an appropriate motor program (17) or the operational timing hypothesis. The conclusion of the article stated stabilisation of performances support the hypothesis that part of the learning process requires discovering and elaborating the coordination between perception and movement (17) It should be understood that this conclusion describes a constant flow of information during performance. It is the humans ability to react to this flow that creates stability. It remains to be seen which of the three systems, after interpreting this flow of information is most useful to enhancing stability. Finding out which system proved the most beneficial could be highly informative to enhancing skill analysis. Science has tried to hone their research to provide such answers.

Further examination of backward somersaults in the tuck position on Floor Exercise maintains conflicting information on the purpose of head movements performed and how the head is stabilised. Below are two examples: #1 The value of each angular position of the head is related to the direction of the gaze. So, in order to prepare for the landing phase the subject must take visual information about the height and the orientation of the jump to plan his motor activity. Similarly, the results of this study suggest that, during a backward somersault, head stabilization must be connected to the visual control of the landing phase. Further, an efficient orientation of the whole body posture at the takeoff, which will determine the shape of the trajectory of the center of gravity during the flight, is probably facilitated under visual control. (7) #2 Another study suggests that during flexion phases in the hip/leg angle of the body of the somersault, vision cannot be relied on. From a visual viewpoint, the rotation of the head can reach velocities up to 1,000 deg/s during the closing action. This fast movement phase is traditionally referred to as the blind phase because head velocity is too high to allow gymnasts to distinctly see the world around them. In particular, it prevents the vestibulooccular reflex from correctly stabilising the image on the retina (18) The two examples clearly highlight a significant disagreement in their respective findings. It can be further complicated when trying to understand regulation of body orientation during a somersault because in free space the Vestibular System gathers no information relative to ground point of reference. (19) The concepts and contradictions leave questions about the interaction of the systems and how head positions could affect stability. It opens the debate as to benefits/non-benefits, to placing the head in a meticulous arrangement when trying to stabilise a particular movement in Artistic Gymnastics.

Philosophical Questions Behind Corrections of the Head

Given the debate over the three systems and how their interactions affect performance, is it theoretically possible, for coaches to establish concrete philosophies regarding the effects of head movement in technical skill analysis? Would the head provide any benefit to performance or only to making a performance look aesthetically pleasing? Three philosophies during performance could be: 1. Whether the head movement allowed a greater degree of postural control while sacrificing some degree of aesthetical posture. 2. Whether the movement created a greater degree of aesthetical posture whilst sacrificing postural control. 3. Whether the movement created a more aesthetically pleasing performance whilst at the same time creating more stability in postural control. Do these three philosophies offer different pathways for coaches to utilise during troubleshooting technical performance mistakes? To answer this question, defining what an error actually is in Artistic Gymnastics must be thoroughly established.

established the E-Jury to evaluate Aesthetical performance. Characteristics of Technical errors: Mistakes in technical qualities can hinder progress to higher-level skills, combinations and routines. There are two categories of such mistakes Kinematic errors significant difference in the prescribed body position, trajectory, velocity. Dynamic errors significant difference in the required energy and strength. (20)

The Heads Relationship to Aesthetical and Technical Errors

In Aesthetical errors, most often a head position correction would only benefit the aesthetical production of the performance. This type of relationship can be understood by examining a handstand on the floor exercise. Many gymnasts can hold a steady handstand position without technical error whilst by protruding out; the head interrupts a straightline position along the body. The corrective measure to adjust the head position would only lead to a greater degree of postural alignment for aesthetical beauty. In Technical errors the head position could have a direct relationship to the movements. The goal of the coach must be to deal with the Kinematic error first, then the Dynamic error (20). Depending on the importance one places on aesthetics and technical mastery, the fixing of errors could be confined to parameters of the previously mentioned three philosophies behind corrections of the head. To come up with possible solutions to Aesthetical, Kinematic and Dynamic errors, it must be understood what effects moving the head creates and what defines an aesthetically pleasing posture.

The Two Categories of Errors

There are two categories of errors in relation to Artistic Gymnastics Aesthetical and Technical. Aesthetical errors deal with the execution of skills and the artistic qualities they possess. Technical errors deal with mistakes in the structure of movements. Characteristics of Aesthetical errors: The structure of movement is not disturbed, only aesthetic presentation. (20) These assessments are widely recognised by judges as an evaluative standard for skills, combinations and routines to distinguish between the successful and unsuccessful. The FIG has

Muscular Links Created by Head Movement

As pointed out, the head is articulated in the neck at the Cervical Spine and movement occurs through various muscles in the neck and shoulder region (the area between the skull and T1). There are definite consequence on other body parts with the head is moved to a certain position. Flexion, extension and rotation of the head creates chains of movement that effect other areas of the body. Your shoulder movements co-ordinate with your neck movements, because of the muscular links. (21) These muscular links help to generate postural control in alliance with the Vestibular, Visual and Somatosensory Systems, and create prominent influences on overall body movement. In terms of gymnastics, these muscular links could create stability and non-stability with respect to performance.

While head position is not the only factor dictating successful performance, it is hypothesised it could be a main consideration. The cornerstone of approaching skill analysis when examining this hypothesis will be two questions: 1. Has a particular head position been responsible for an error in the technical movement? 2. If the head position is responsible for the technical error, what needs to be done to align the head correctly and subsequently fix the technical mistake? Practical Example - The Backward Giant on the Horizontal Bar: The technical error that will be examined is extending the head out from the hanging position (under the bar) to the support position (above the bar) in performance of a backward giant circle on the horizontal bar. The consequence of this technical mistake could create a hindrance to higher-level elements that rely on finishing the tap from an arch to hollow shape. Figure 1 illustrates this type of backward giant circle around the horizontal bar; the technical mistake being referred to is identified within the red square:

Aesthetical Posture
How closely related are aesthetics to technical mastery? (22) This question has great implications on coaches and gymnast in pursuit of excellence within gymnastics. According the Federation of International Gymnastique Aesthetics and technical mastery are equal components of sport mastery (22). The FIG elaborates further to explain insufficiently developed aesthetics hinders the growth of sport mastery (22). The arguments for this statement are the details of element technique are indirectly influenced by aesthetics including correct body posture, straightened knees, pointed toes, which all help to stabilise the execution of an element (22). Given the already described relationship head position undertakes in relation to body posture, the picture becomes clearer that the head plays a major role in the production of aesthetics, which in turn plays a major role in technical mastery. It remains to be proved whether or not the head position can adhere to the maxim laid forth by the FIG. However, the awareness of such potential is certainly apparent.

To analyse the problem we will begin by addressing the two key questions Question 1: Has a particular head position been responsible for an error in the technical movement?

Can technical errors be fixed by adjustments to the head position?

Answer to Question 1: In the illustration the gymnast is arriving to the handstand position with the neck extended and the head in an out, or raised position. In the example the neck is extending through movement of the thoracic vertebrae and the cervical vertebrae. Both the sub-occipital and the intervertebral muscles are coordinating recruitment to produce extension in the neck protruding the head to an out position. The heads position and how the body has obtained it, creates muscular links that derive definite influences on body posture. This mistake is identified as the primary Kinematical, or body positional error and is responsible for the error in performance. As a result, the gymnast develops two secondary, or Dynamic errors a chest open position and a piking of the hips. These are considered Dynamic errors as the events have created a chain reaction of positions that differ from the prescribed body position of hollowing the body over support. It is hypothesised that by first focusing on correcting the primary Kinematic error in the sequence, the secondary Dynamic errors could be fixed automatically. Here is a movie of the Technical errors, Example 1:

Here is a video of the head position being restrained to a particular position. Example 2:

A comparison between the two video examples allows the viewer to observe the gymnast eliminate the Dynamic errors occurring when the head position was fixed into a particular position. By eliminating the Kinematic error of the head being extended in an out position, the subsequent Dynamic errors of hip flexion and an outward protruding chest region were eliminated. The reason for this positive change occurred because the thoracic vertebrae in the spine, and intervertebral muscles associated with extending the head in example 1 were restrained in example 2, therefore eliminating their influence on head position. By restraining the head, the participant allowed the natural progression of hollow to occur in the chest region during the supported phases of the backward giant circle. Based upon the technical correction made, it could be established that the correction of the head in the instance of the backward giant performed created a more aesthetically pleasing performance whilst at the same time creating more stability in postural control.

Question 2: If the head position is responsible for the technical error, what needs to be done to align the head correctly and subsequently fix the technical mistake? Answer to Question 2: The influence of the heads position on the posture of the body has produced a Kinematic error that needs to be rectified. In the case of the giant swing above, the particular gymnast has utilised this head out position for a number of years. The habit has been so engrained that to simply ask to perform with the head neutral (head between the arms) would get mixed results. The solution used is to safely force the gymnasts head position to obtain a neutral posture using a strapping device.

Conclusion
It is yet to be confirmed whether focusing on head position would be a proper compass for coaches and gymnasts in their pursuit of successful skill analysis. The particular analysis of restraining the head to a certain position did provide optimistic evidence regarding the heads role in fixing errors in performance. It also provided a successful role in establishing a certain philosophy on the heads responsibility in aesthetics and technical advancement. Given that science has some conflicting research on stability in body orientation, to firmly believe that the head plays the definitive role in technical corrections is a cautious stance. In light of this, it certainly can be stated that the

majority of human organs that contribute to postural control are located within the heads boundaries. To what extent the head position will have on successful performance could always be pondered. I have always maintained that head position plays a role, whether major or minor, in Artistic Gymnastics performance. It is the ultimate goal of this paper to heighten the awareness of this belief. Perhaps more specific skills in the future can be examined on the basis of the discussions and analysis set forth in this paper, focusing on the role of head position.

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