Suboccipital Muscles Flashcards
What are the suboccipital muscles?
Short muscles of the nape of the neck
How many suboccipital muscles are there?
What are they deep to?
4 small muscles deep to semispinalis capitis
What do the suboccipital muscles do?
Help C1/C2 move independently of C3-C7. Also muscles involved in whiplash
Rectus capitis posterior major
Sup attach: inferior nuchal line
Inferior attach: SP of C2
Action: unilateral ipsilateral rotation of head on neck
Action: bilateral extend head on the neck
Fibre direction: superolateral
Rectus capitis posterior minor
Sup attach: inferior nuchal line
Inferior attach: posterior arch of C1 (posterior tubercle)
Action: bilateral extends the head on the neck
Also attached to dura mater of brain (therefor contribution to headaches due to tension and spasm- suboccipital release is work on GTO in this area)
Obliquus capitis inferior
Sup attach: TVP C1
inferior attach: SP C2
Action: unilateral ipsilateral rotation of head on neck
Mostly postural muscle
Obliquus capitis superior
Sup attach: between sup and inf nuchal lines
Inferior attach: TVP of C1
Action: unilateral lateral flexion of head on neck
Action: bilateral extends the head on the neck
What is the inferolateral border of the suboccipital triangle?
Obliquus capitis inferior
What is the superolateral border of the suboccipital triangle?
Obliquus capitis superior
What is the superomedial border of the suboccipital triangle?
Rectus capitis posterior major
What is the floor of the suboccipital triangle?
Posterior Atlanta-occipital membrane
What is the roof of the suboccipital triangle?
Semispinalis m.
What are the contents of the suboccipital triangle?
Vertebral artery
Suboccipital nerve
What is the looking reflex?
Head follows where the eyes look. Ie if you are doing suboccipital release don’t have your patient looking up at you and talking because it will contract sub-occipital muscles. Ask them to look down or close their eyes
