The latissimus dorsi muscle can contribute to pain in the shoulder, upper back, and arm going down into the hand. The muscle can also cause pain in the side of the ribcage and lower abdomen. It is the muscle that most often causes the ‘side stitch’.
The levator scapulae connect the shoulder blade to the vertebra of the neck. The muscle contributes to pain in the shoulder, neck, and the base of the skull. The muscle causes a stiff neck. It can contribute to headaches at the base of the skull and up into the back of the head.
The subclavius muscle is found just under the collarbone. It contributes to pain in the area around the clavicle (collarbone), shoulder, upper arm, forearm, thumb and fingers. It can also contribute to tingling and numbness in the arm and hand.
The temporalis muscle is located on the side of the head. It is a prime contributor to temporal mandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction. The muscle contributes to pain in the head, around the eye, jaw and upper teeth.
The suboccipital muscles contribute to headaches, migraines and stiff upper neck. They can also contribute to eye strain and pain. The muscles are also often the cause of ‘ghost headaches’.
The orbicularis oculi muscle is the muscle that encircles the eye. The muscle contributes to pain above the eye that travels down the side of the nose. It can also contribute to twitching of the eye and a drooping eyelid.
Scalene muscles are a prime contributor to thoracic outlet syndrome as well as neck, shoulder, chest, upper back and arm pain. Muscle twitching, jerking and restlessness similar to restless leg syndrome felt in the neck and shoulder is a classic sign of scalene dysfunction
The frontalis muscle is a muscle in your forehead. It can cause a deep ache across the forehead. The frontalis can be affected by sinusitis and TMJ dysfunction.
The coracobrachialis muscle connects the shoulder to the upper arm. It can contribute to pain in the shoulder, back of the arm, and occasionally the middle finger. Pain is often felt when attempting to put your hand behind your back and or raising your arm over your head.
The occipitalis muscle can contribute to headaches at the top of the head and the back of the head just above the neck. It can also play a role in pain behind the eye and occasionally contribute to pain in the upper teeth.
The biceps brachii muscle is found in the front of the upper arm. It contributes to pain in the shoulder, upper arm and elbow. Straightening the arm when the palm is facing up can be painful and difficult.
The masseter muscle is one of the muscles that you use to chew your food. Dysfunction in this muscle can contribute to pain around the eye, in the jaw, in the cheek area and the ear. It can be associated with ringing in the ear (tinnitus) and TMJ.
The sartorius muscle can cause and contribute to burning stinging down the thigh to the inside of the knee. The inside of the knee may be hypersensitive to touch and pressure.
The vastus intermedius muscle can cause and contribute pain down the front of the thigh and knees. Pain increases when walking up an incline or stairs.
The vastus medialis can cause and contribute to pain on the inside of the knee and front of the thigh. Dysfunction in this muscle will cause your knee to buckle. It is one of the four quadriceps muscles.
The pectoralis minor muscle contributes to pain in the chest, shoulder, arm, hand, and fingers. Chest pain can be tenderness or sharp, burning stabbing pain. The pec minor can also contribute to pain in the upper back between the shoulder blades.
The pectoralis major contributes to pain in the chest, shoulder, breast and upper back. Pain can also travel down the inner arm, elbow and extend to the hand and last two fingers.
The deltoid is the muscle that covers the tip of the shoulder. It contributes to pain in the shoulder and upper arm. One indication of problems with the deltoid muscle is pain is most intense during activity and subsides when resting the shoulder and arm.
The teres major is a shoulder muscle. It can contribute to pain in the shoulder, upper arm, and forearm. An indication of teres major muscle involvement is pain is felt in the shoulder and upper arm skipping the elbow and reoccurring in the back of the forearm.
The infraspinatus muscle lines the back of the shoulder blade. It is one of the muscles that can contribute to frozen shoulder. The muscle can cause pain in the shoulder, neck, pain down the outside of the arm which descends down into the thumb and hand. Shoulder mobility can be greatly reduced.
The supraspinatus muscle is one of the four rotator cuff muscles. It contributes to pain in the shoulder, outside of the arm and elbow. Pain is a deep aching that often persists during rest.
The subscapularis muscle is found on the inside of the shoulder blade. It can cause severe pain in the shoulder blade area that can also run down the back of the arm. Pain is also often felt in the wrist, but not the forearm.
