Muscles of the Back

Authors

Affiliations

Nate Yomogida, B.S., SPT

Doctor of Physical Therapy

B.S. in Kinesiology

Chloë Kerstein, B.S., SPT

Doctor of Physical Therapy

B.A. in Neuroscience

OIAN

Suboccipitals

Warning: No 'path' link found for variable 'nan' in YAML data.

Table 1: Suboccipital Muscles

Muscle	Origin	Insertion	Innervation	Action
Obliquus capitis inferior
Obliquus capitis superior
Rectus capitis posterior major				UNIL: I/L head rotation
Rectus Capitis Posterior Minor	C1 (posterior tubercle)	Occipital bone (inferior nuchal line, inner 1/3)	Suboccipital N.	BIL: Extend head UNIL: I/L head rotation

Prevertebral Muscles

• Longus capitis
• Longus Colli Cervicis
• Rectus Capitis anterior
• Rectus Capitis Lateralis

Table 2: Prevertebral Muscles

Muscle	Origin	Insertion	Innervation	Action
Longus capitis
Longus colli cervicis
Rectus capitis anterior
Rectus capitis lateralis

Superficial intrinsic back Muscles

• Serratus posterior superior
• Serratus posterior inferior
• Splenius capitis
• Splenius cervicis

Table 3: Superficial Intrinsic Back Muscles

Muscle	Origin	Insertion	Innervation	Action
Serratus posterior inferior
Serratus posterior superior
Splenius capitis	Nuchal lig. C7-T4 SP	Lateral third of nuchal line Mastoid process	Spinal nn. Posterior rami (lateral br.) C1 - C6	Bilateral: Head and neck extension Unilateral: I/L sidebend, I/L rotation
Splenius cervicis	T3-T7 SP	C1-C4 SP	Spinal nn. Posterior rami (lateral br.) C1 - C6	Bilateral: Head and neck extension Unilateral: I/L sidebend, I/L rotation

Intermediate intrinsic back muscles (Erector Spinae)

Iliocostalis

• Iliocostalis Cervicis
• Iliocostalis Thoracis
• Iliocostalis lumborum

Longissimus

• Longissimus Capitis
• Longissimus Cervicis
• Longissimus Thoracis

Spinalis

• Spinalis Cervicis
• Spinalis Thoracis

Table 4: Intermediate intrinsic back muscles

Muscle	Origin	Insertion	Innervation	Action
Iliocostalis cervicis
Iliocostalis lumborum
Iliocostalis thoracis
Longissimus capitis	T1-T3 TP C4-C7 TP & articular process	Mastoid process	Spinal nn. Posterior rami (lateral br.) C1 - C5	Bilateral: Head extension Unilateral: Ipsilateral head sidebend, Ipsilateral rotation
Longissimus cervicis	T1-T6 TP	C2-C5 TP	Spinal nn. Posterior rami (lateral br.) C1 - C5	Bilateral: Extends spine Unilateral: Ipsilateral spine sidebend
Longissimus thoracis	Sacrum Iliac crest Lumbar vertebrae SP Lower thoracic TP	2-12 Ribs Thoracic TP Lumbar TP	Spinal nn. Posterior rami (lateral br.) C1 - C5	Bilateral: Extends spine Unilateral: Ipsilateral spine sidebend
Spinalis cervicis	C5-T2 SP	C5-T2 SP	Spinal nn. Posterior rami (lateral br.)	Bilateral: Cervical extension, Thoracic extension Unilateral: Cervical ipsilateral sidebend, Thoracic ipsilateral sidebend
Spinalis thoracis	T10-L3 SP and Lateral surfaces	T2-8 SP & Lateral surfaces	Spinal nn. Posterior rami (lateral br.)	Bilateral: Cervical extension, Thoracic extension Unilateral: Cervical ipsilateral sidebend, Thoracic ipsilateral sidebend

Transversospinalis Muscles

• Rotatores Breves
• Rotatores Longi
• Multifidi
• Semispinalis Capitis
• Semispinalis Cervicis
• Semispinalis Thoracis

Table 5: Transversospinalis muscles

Muscle	Origin	Insertion	Innervation	Action

Deep Segmental Back Muscles

• Interspinales Cervicis
• Interspinales Lumbora

Warning: No 'path' link found for variable 'ref-medial-intertransversarii-cervices' in YAML data.

Table 6: Transversospinalis muscles

Muscle	Origin	Insertion	Innervation	Action
Anterior Intertransversarii cervicis	C2-C7 Anterior tubercle of superior segment	C2-C7 Anterior tubercle of inferior segment	Spinal nn. (anterior rami)	Bilateral: Cervical extension and stabilization, lumbar extension and stabilization Unilateral: Cervical extension and ipsilateral sidebend, Lumbar extension and ipsilateral sidebend
Interspinales cervicis	C1-C7 SP of superior segment	C1-C7 SP of inferior segment	Spinal nn. Posterior rami	Cervical: Extension Lumbar: Extension
Interspinales lumbora	L1-L5 SP of superior segment	L1-L5 SP of inferior segment	Spinal nn. Posterior rami	Bilateral: Cervical extension and stabilization, lumbar extension and stabilization Unilateral: Cervical extension and ipsilateral sidebend, Lumbar extension and ipsilateral sidebend
Lateral intertransversarii lumbora	L1-L5 TP of superior segment	L1-L5 TP of inferior segment	Spinal nn. (anterior rami)	Bilateral: Cervical extension and stabilization, lumbar extension and stabilization Unilateral: Cervical extension and ipsilateral sidebend, Lumbar extension and ipsilateral sidebend
Levatores cosatrum breves	C7-T11 TP	Costal angle of next inferior rib	Spinal nn. (posterior rami)	Bilateral: Thoracic extension Unilateral: Thoracic ipsilateral sidebend, contralateral rotation
Levatores costarum longi	C7-T11 TP	Costal angle of rib 2 segments inferior	Spinal nn. (posterior rami)	Bilateral: Thoracic extension Unilateral: Thoracic ipsilateral sidebend, contralateral rotation
Medial intertransversarii cervicis
Medial intertransversarii lumbora	L1-L5 Mammillary process of superior segment	L1-L5 Mammillary process of inferior segment	Spinal nn. (posterior rami)	Bilateral: Cervical extension and stabilization, lumbar extension and stabilization Unilateral: Cervical extension and ipsilateral sidebend, Lumbar extension and ipsilateral sidebend
Posterior intertransversarii cervicis	C2-C7 Posterior tubercle of superior segment	C2-C7 Posterior tubercle of superior segment	Spinal nn. (posterior rami)	Bilateral: Cervical extension and stabilization, lumbar extension and stabilization Unilateral: Cervical extension and ipsilateral sidebend, Lumbar extension and ipsilateral sidebend

Lumbar spine muscles

For the lumbar spine, we will organize the muscles based on depth (superficial → deep) as well as location from midline (medial → lateral).

Palpation

Prone

• vertebra
  • SPs
  • spacing
  • rotation
  • Depth