Get Your Phalange Out Of My Mediastinum! Quiz

Answer: a game of tennis

The term antecubital is from the Latin words ante meaning before, and cubitum meaning elbow. Tennis elbow is a common ailment among people who overuse the forearm and elbow. Symptoms include pain and swelling, and the pain gets worse with continued use. Doctors recommend resting the elbow and the use of aspirin or ibuprofen to lessen pain.

Answer: the back of my head

The occipital lobe of your brain is also known as the visual processing center. A severe enough blow to the back of the head can cause permanent blindness.

Answer: my lower back

There are five lumbar vertebrae, and pain in the lumbar region is very common. The term lumbar comes from the Latin for loin. Unfortunately, almost everyone will experience lower back pain at some point. The muscles located in the lower back are prone to strain from lifting, twisting, and pushing motions.

The pain can spread to the buttocks and legs when inflamed muscles affect nearby nerves. As with other muscle strains, doctors recommend resting the affected area and the use of aspirin or ibuprofen to relieve the pain.

Answer: playing soccer

The popliteal area is the hollow in the back of the knee. The terminal portion of several large muscles including the biceps femoris and semimembranosus (both part of your hamstrings) are located here. Playing soccer is the most likely cause of injury to the back of the knee due to the nature of the sport. Soccer is played by maneuvering the ball toward the goal with various kicks and passes using the feet. Fishing, swimming, and baseball are all activities where you would expect to see more injuries to the elbow and/or shoulder.

Answer: pneumonia

The region of the body between the neck and the abdomen is known as the thoracic region. The heart and lungs are housed in the thoracic cavity; thus any pain in this area probably warrants a trip to your physician.

Answer: playing softball

The acromion, or shoulder, is an extension of the scapula, articulates with the clavicle, and forms the summit of the shoulder. The term is from the Greek akros, which means highest. Since softball involves the repeated use of the arms when pitching or catching the ball, or swinging the bat, shoulder injuries are relatively common among players.

Answer: the sole of the foot

Planta is Latin for the bottom of the foot. Plantar warts are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV), and can be quite painful.

Answer: the upper thigh

The term inguinal is from a Middle English Latin derivative, and refers to the groin. During fetal development, the testes develop in the abdomen and then descend through the inguinal canals into the scrotum. Groin pulls are commonly seen in athletes and, due to the location of the muscles, can take 6-8 weeks to fully heal. To lower the risk of a strained groin, it is recommended that you fully stretch the legs before exercising, stop exercising if you begin to feel pain in the area, and work to continually strengthen your thigh muscles.

Answer: long pants or skirt

Crural is the term used to describe the leg. Usually it refers to the calf area, but also refers to the leg as a whole. Wearing long pants or a long skirt to work will help hide the injury until it heals.

Answer: a bracelet

The term brachial refers to the arm, and ante refers to before. Thus, I am going to celebrate my first quiz by buying myself an ornament for my forearm, or wrist area. The word bracelet stems from the same Latin root, brach, as brachial.