Gross motor function, just like fine motor function, is a movement function of the human body. Gross motor movements are accompanied by movement of the whole body, such as jumping or running.
What is gross motor movement?
While fine motor movements involve the careful movement of individual body parts, gross motor movements are characterized by a large amplitude of movement. Thus, the totality of the work of the skeletal muscles is counted as gross motor activity.
Function and task
Motor skills play a major role in child development in particular. Gross motor skills – such as crawling – prepare for fine motor development in the developmental sequence. Especially in child development, motor skills play a major role. Gross motor skills – such as crawling – prepare the developmental sequence for fine motor development, which can be seen in preschool age, for example, in the correct holding of a pencil. If a child has not acquired sufficient gross motor skills, the acquisition of fine motor skills is impossible or at least severely problematic. Children should therefore be able to gain sufficient gross motor experience. Otherwise, with inadequate gross motor skills, they will find it difficult, for example, to learn to write or to develop manual skills, which will express itself in a disinclination to engage in creative activity and, on the whole, make them less capable of living. Gross motor skills can be trained through sports, for example. In babies, on the other hand, the onset of gross motor skills cannot be influenced by external factors. Nevertheless, developmental disorders in babies and toddlers also show up when gross motor skills do not develop in an age-appropriate manner. There are different tests to check the developmental level of a child and thus to determine whether a motor development disorder is present. To determine the level of gross motor skills in a patient, one examines his muscle tension, his sense of balance, and his sense of his own body (body awareness). For this purpose, the doctor may ask the patient to stand on one leg, for example. If he finds this difficult, this is often a sign of a gross motor deficit, which can occur not only due to a developmental disorder, but also due to other diseases or a generally poor constitution. Since there are many reasons for a gross motor disorder, the specialists involved in the diagnosis come from different disciplines: primarily from neurology, but also from internal medicine. For the purpose of a differentiated diagnosis, imaging procedures are also used if necessary. For example, an MRI can be used to examine the spine or the brain for damage and injuries in order to determine whether this is the cause of a sudden gross motor deficit. If an organic cause is ruled out by the specialists’ diagnosis, the patient can undergo physiotherapy. This is particularly necessary for children so that the developmental deficit in gross motor skills can be eliminated. This is because, in addition to e.g. school problems that can result from poorly developed gross motor skills, the child’s self-esteem also suffers. If the fear of embarrassing oneself increases, this in turn has a negative influence on gross motor skills: if children no longer dare to try out unfamiliar movement sequences, their development stagnates.
Illnesses and complaints
Various diseases hinder gross motor skills or even the development of gross motor skills. For example, a symptom of ADHD (also ADS) may be a developmental deficit in gross motor skills. A stroke can also affect gross motor skills. In Alzheimer’s disease, the body loses memory for motor skills once acquired, which is why this disease can also impact gross motor skills. Gross motor skills are also affected by the use of alcohol and drugs; however, as the toxic substances are eliminated, they are restored. The situation is different in the case of severe injuries to the spinal cord: If the impulses for gross as well as fine motor movements do not reach the extremities via the nerve tracts, the patient requires immediate intensive medical treatment.If a fall occurs, the paramedics first check the gross motor skills of the individual extremities, provided the injured person is conscious, in order to rule out serious injury to the spinal cord. If there is a tumor in the brain or spinal cord, this may also interfere with the gross motor skills. Namely, if the location of the tumor prevents the transmission of impulses for movement. Sudden disturbances in gross motor skills can therefore also refer to damage in the brain or spinal cord. They are a warning signal of the body and require further medical control. Furthermore, joint and muscle problems can also lead to gross motor restriction. Physiotherapeutic measures can be helpful in remedying such movement problems. Under no circumstances should this measure be carried out on the patient’s own initiative, as this can exacerbate the underlying problem. If gross motor skills prevent a patient from engaging in athletic activities and from moving smoothly, presentation to a physician is recommended. This is especially true in children, whose motor development requires special attention.
