The widest back muscle and back pain
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
The widest muscle of the back is m. Latmimus dorsi unbends the shoulder. Brings his hand to the trunk and penetrates the withdrawn shoulder, lifts the raised hand; if the hands are fixed on the bar-horizontal bar) pulls the trunk towards them (when climbing, swimming).
- Beginning: Angulus inferior scapulae (impermanent), spinous processes of VII-XII thoracic vertebrae, fascia thoracolumbalis, crista iliaca, (IX) X-XII ribs.
- Attachment: Crista tuberculi minoris humeri
- Innervation: spinal nerves C4-C7 - brachial plexus - n. Thoracodorsalis.
Diagnostics
The patient lies on his back, his shoulder is allotted about 90, the brush is under his head or on the pillow. In this position, the latissimus muscle of the back is in a semi-stretched state. In tick-borne palpation of the cords, marked local convulsive responses are observed which, depending on which fibers are affected, can easily be observed along the edge of the scapula or in the lower thoracic and lumbar regions. Most often trigger zones are localized in the middle portion of the uppermost fibers (in the region of the posterior margin of the axillary fossa). Rarely trigger zones are located in the middle of the longest anterior muscle fibers.
Reflected pain
Projected into the lower corner of the scapula and into the surrounding area of the chest. Pain can also spread along the back surface and the medial edge of the shoulder, forearm and hand over the ring finger and little finger. The patient, when asked to show the localization of pain, describes the hand with a circle with the center in the lower corner of the scapula. With a rare arrangement of trigger zones in the middle of the longest anterior fibers, the reflected pain is projected onto the anterior surface of the shoulder and sometimes over the crest of the ilium.