so if there is tightness (usually at the posterior). If you were to look at the posterior triangle on an anatomy chart or a cadaver, you would see that several muscles fall within this area. The posterior triangle of the neck contains many muscles, which make up the borders and the floor of the area. The jugular vein and subclavian vein are two important veins of the neck, while the subclavian artery is an important vessel that can be easily seen because it is apparent between the middle and anterior scalenes. The posterior neck muscles lie within the posterior triangle of the neck, and these muscles perform many key functions while also providing passage routes for several major arteries, veins and nerves. It’s a straight muscle. This long muscle arises from the spinous processes of thoracic vertebrae. It can all get a little confusing. The hyoid bone is a small bone in the neck that serves as an attachment point for muscles of the mouth and the tongue. These originate on the transverse processes of the cervical vertebra and they insert onto the first and second ribs. You’ve got the rectus abdominis muscles and you’ve got the rectus muscles of the eye. Is this for neck twitching/spasms/jerking? That’s the levator scapula. And at the base, you’ve got the middle third of the clavicle. You can see by the origin and insertion of these muscles that these will elevate the ribs. Warm up your neck with a few sitting exercises before the posterior neck exercise. Yes. These are practical exercises and take very little time and effort. Because they are involved in lifting the ribs, they increase the volume in the thoracic cavity and are therefore included among our accessory muscles for respiration. This muscle is shown out of place on this model, but it actually lies on the superior surface of the transverse process of the atlas and inserts onto the occipital bone. There you go! The levator scapulae muscle, as its name implies, elevates the scapula, often working in conjunction with other muscles. Doing it too frequently might eventually move it. To create this article, 9 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. Specifically, the anterior and middle scalene muscles work to bend the neck to the same side as these muscles and lift the first rib. A significant muscle in the posterior triangle region is the omohyoid muscle. The muscles of the neck run from the base of the skull to the upper back and work together to … Neck muscles are bodies of tissue that produce motion in the neck when stimulated. What this muscle does is it flexes the head laterally on the same side. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. What it does is that it flexes the neck anteriorly and laterally and it gives slight rotation to the opposite side. In addition to posterior neck muscles called the omohyoid, scalenes, and by other names unfamiliar to most non-physicians, there are also a number of critical blood vessels and nerves. Anteriorly, it’s bounded by the posterior margin of the sternocleidomastoid muscle (so this muscle here). The posterior triangle is bounded at the back by the anterior border of the trapezius muscle. This is a good way to visualize the posterior neck muscles. In addition to muscles and bones, the neck area houses the trachea (or windpipe), the esophagus, arteries and veins, and, of course, many nerves that stimulate all of these components to work in an efficient and coordinated fashion. This is a minimal exercise routine and very lacking for athletes in contact sports like boxing and football. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 40,880 times. It contains many muscles involved in functions extending beyond obvious motor actions of the head and neck. Your posterior neck muscles are those muscles that lie within the posterior triangle of the neck, beneath that investing layer of fascia, although they are not the only inhabitants of this area. With the one significant exception of the omohyoid muscle, our posterior neck muscles are located "on the floor" of the posterior triangle of the neck, These muscles are considered vertebral muscles because vertebral fascia covers them. The superior belly runs in the anterior triangle and the inferior belly runs in the posterior triangle. My neck feels weak, like my head is like a bowling ball and my neck is a strand of spaghetti. I’ll just flick over to a different view. I used to crack my neck all the time. It inserts onto the transverse process of C1 to C4. That’s the omohyoid muscle and it originates on the upper border of the scapula. Those are the muscles of the posterior triangle of the neck. It flexes the head at the atlanto occipital joint. That’s the longus capitis which flexes the head. Learning about muscles by region also helps us understand their functions. Of the many muscles of the neck, the sternocleidomastoid is one of the most important and prominent. Three Things You Probably Didn't Know About Neck Muscles, Its anterior boundary is formed by the sternocleidomastoid muscles, Its inferior boundary is the clavicle (collarbone), Its posterior boundary is the trapezius muscle. It inserts into the scapula (shoulder blade), and like the other posterior neck muscles, there is one on each side. The sternocleidomastoid is a long, strap-like muscle that hangs from the back of the ear and runs diagonally toward the front of the neck to connect to the clavicle and sternum. Several important blood vessels travel through these muscles, including the subclavian artery that passes through two scalene muscles. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. The posterior triangle is just such an anatomical area: one that is defined by a number of important anatomical landmarks, including the SCM, and one which contains several muscles and small muscle groups. Again there are several muscles which run through the posterior triangle and I’m going to run you through these. By using our site, you agree to our. This muscle as the name suggests elevates the scapula. You’ve got this intermediate tendon, which actually attaches to the clavicle and then you’ve got the superior belly of the omohyoid, which inserts on the hyoid. It is split into two bellies by a tendon. Just to start off with, we’ve got the scalene muscles, which quite annoyingly aren’t on this model. Under these conditions, exercise your posterior neck muscles very briefly, with moderate intensity, and infrequently. These muscles, I’ll try and get a good view of them. Of all these neck "components," the muscles are perhaps the easiest to take for granted, with so much of our attention being devoted to tasks like breathing and eating. This is the longus capitis originating on the transverse processes of C3 to C6 and inserting onto the basilar part of the occipital bone immediately anterior to the foramen magnum. Because they originate on the transverse process and insert here, when they contract, they bring the head downwards. Avoid extremes in movement when applying resistance. Here we have the diagram of the scalene muscles. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Again, you can visualize the function of this muscle. And then next, you’ve got the rectus capitis muscles. If you watch the tutorial on the anterior triangle, the muscles of the anterior triangle, you’ll have seen that the omohyoid inserts onto the hyoid bone lateral to the sternohyoid and it has two bellies. It’s got an inferior and superior belly. As long as you don't overdo it, and implement a regular exercises routine, you should see relevant results quickly. Don't crack your neck often. Obviously, you’ve got one on either side. It depresses the hyoid. Record (briefly) in a notebook or on a calender your neck exercises. They originate on the transverse processes of the cervical vertebra, so vertebra C3 to C6. It's helpful to divide the posterior neck muscles into four major groupings: scalenes, the omohyoid, the splenius capitis, and the levator scapulae. by The Neck Care Team | Aug 22, 2019 | Neck Injury | 0 comments. When they contract, they’ll draw the ribs upwards. Rectus capitis posterior major and Rectus capitis posterior minor attach the inferior nuchal line of the occiput to the C2 and C1 vertebrae respectively. The levator scapulae muscle is also involved in flexing the cervical spine. You’ve got the longus capitis and the longus colli. What this muscle does is that it flexes the neck anteriorly. This is conveniently demonstrated by the fact that we have two SCMs. Exercise two is an isometric exercise, do not hold your breath when doing this i.e. The muscles of the neck are present in four main groups. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Its straight muscle of the head and it’s the anterior one because it lies anteriorly on the atlas bone. When doing the sitting exercises observe any tightness in the neck. It’s this muscle here. Muscle & Nerve 1999;22:1146-1150 3. It starts off here, winds through the posterior triangle into the anterior triangle and attaches to the hyoid bone. Posterior neck muscles Superficial muscles - splenius capitis, splenius cervicis Suboccipital muscles - rectus capitis posterior major, rectus capitis posterior minor, obliquus capitis inferior, obliquus capitis inferior The suboccipital muscles act to rotate the head and extend the neck. What this muscle does is it elevates the scapula. We can see the prevertebral muscles sitting on top of them. wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. These are muscles which lie anterior to the vertebral bodies and then you’ve got some lateral muscles which I’ll show you. Unfortunately, they’re not shown on this model, but you can just visualize that they would run through the posterior triangle here. Will this help to strengthen it, and maybe even increase its size? Then you’ve got the rectus capitis lateralis because it lies laterally. Could ice and these routines get my neck back to normal? Much larger than the sternocleidomastoid, the anterior or front part of this muscle forms the posterior (rear or back) border of the posterior triangle. % of people told us that this article helped them.