Dominic Stone
The muscles in our back help us move other parts of our body, including bending over, twisting, turning our head, and extending our back. Healthcare providers divide back muscles into three groups: superficial (extrinsic), intermediate, and intrinsic (deep) back muscles. The superficial back muscles are the ones closest to the surface, just under our skin, and help move our shoulders. The intermediate back muscles are located just above and below our rib cage and help move our ribs, including when breathing. The intrinsic muscles are the deepest layer of back muscles and are further divided into their own subgroups. Several muscles fall into these groups, including the latissimus dorsi, levator scapulae, rhomboids, and trapezius. The psoas muscles, located on either side of the spine, also help move the lower back, hips, and upper legs. The extensor, flexor, and oblique muscles are three types of back muscles that help spinal function, with the extensor muscles enabling actions like standing and lifting objects, the flexor muscles allowing us to bend forward, and the oblique muscles helping to rotate the spine and maintain proper posture.
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What You'll Learn
Extensor muscles
The extensor muscles are one of the three main types of back muscles that help the spine function, alongside flexors and obliques. Extensor muscles are attached to the back of the spine and enable actions such as standing and lifting objects. They include the large paired muscles in the lower back, called the erector spinae, which help to hold up the spine, as well as the gluteal muscles.
Extensors are also referred to as superficial back muscles or extrinsic muscles. They are the muscles closest to the surface, just under the skin. These muscles help move the shoulders and are usually the ones people think of when picturing their back muscles. The latissimus dorsi (or 'lats'), for example, are the largest muscles in the upper half of the body. They start below the shoulder blades and extend to the spine in the lower back. The levator scapulae are smaller muscles that start at the side of the neck and extend to the shoulder blades. The rhomboid muscles connect the shoulder blades to the spine, while the trapezius muscles (or 'traps') start at the neck, go across the shoulders, and extend down to the lower back in a V shape.
The transversospinalis muscle group is a deep group of back muscles that lie beneath the erector spinae. It consists of three major subgroups and assists in bending the back posteriorly when contracted bilaterally. When unilateral contraction occurs, they assist with lateral bending and rotation.
Weak extensor muscles can cause back pain. Physical therapy and exercise for lower back pain typically focus on strengthening the extensor, flexor, and oblique muscles, which helps reinforce support of the spine and reduce back pain. Chronic stress can also lead to muscle weakness and back pain, as it causes the back muscles to tighten, using up energy needed to support the spine.
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Flexor muscles
The flexor muscles are attached to the front of the spine and enable bending forward, lifting, and arching the lower back. These muscles include the abdominal muscles and the psoas muscles.
The abdominal muscles are essential for maintaining a healthy posture and preventing low back pain. When the abdominal muscles are weak, the muscles that allow bending at the hip, such as the psoas muscles, tighten, increasing the curve of the lower back. This can lead to an unhealthy posture called lordosis or swayback.
The psoas muscles are long, ribbon-shaped muscles that run from the lower back to the hips on either side of the spine. They are core muscles that help move the hips, upper legs, and maintain posture. The psoas muscles work with other muscles to stabilize the upper body and facilitate movements that require the simultaneous use of the abdomen and legs.
In addition to the abdominal and psoas muscles, the rectus abdominis muscle is also considered a flexor muscle. This muscle is involved in spinal flexion and stability.
Overall, the flexor muscles play a crucial role in spinal movement and stability, allowing us to bend forward, lift objects, and maintain proper posture. Strengthening these muscles through physical therapy and exercise can help reinforce spinal support and reduce low back pain.
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Oblique muscles
The obliques are the muscles that run down either side of the abdomen and are commonly referred to as the waist muscles. There are two sets of oblique muscles: external and internal obliques. The external obliques are the largest and outermost of the three flat abdominal muscles of the lateral anterior abdomen. They sit on the outer edge of the abdomen, and the internal obliques sit directly next to them, closer to the core. These muscles work together when the body twists or rotates at the core.
The external oblique muscle functions to pull the chest downwards and compress the abdominal cavity, increasing intra-abdominal pressure. It also performs ipsilateral side-bending and contralateral rotation: the right external oblique would side-bend to the right and rotate to the left, and vice versa. The internal oblique muscle functions similarly, except it rotates ipsilaterally.
The oblique muscles are part of the group of back muscles that help support the spine, hold the body upright, and allow the trunk to move, twist, and bend in many directions. They are attached to the sides of the spine and help rotate the spine and maintain proper posture. Strengthening the oblique muscles through physical therapy and exercise can help reinforce support of the spine and reduce lower back pain.
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Psoas muscles
The psoas muscle is a long, ribbon-shaped muscle that runs from the lower back to the groin on either side of the spine. It starts in the lower back, just below the ribs, and runs alongside the spine through the pelvis to the top of the femur (thigh bone) near the hips. It forms the iliopsoas muscle group with the iliacus muscle in the hip.
The psoas muscles are core muscles that play a crucial role in connecting the spine to the lower body. They act as a bridge, linking deeper muscles to those closer to the surface of the skin. This allows for coordinated movements involving the abdomen and legs simultaneously. For example, they help in pulling the abdomen up from a prone position, such as during a sit-up.
These muscles are essential for maintaining posture and facilitating movements of the hips and upper legs. They help stabilize the top of the femur when the hips are in motion. Additionally, they assist in flexing and moving the hips while standing or lying down, and they enable lifting the upper legs during activities like walking or climbing stairs.
Psoas injuries are rare, but they can cause lower back pain, stiffness, and difficulty maintaining a standing position. It is important to seek medical advice for persistent back pain or related symptoms. Healthcare providers can offer guidance on strengthening and supporting the psoas muscles to alleviate discomfort and improve overall function.
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Superficial, intermediate and intrinsic back muscles
The back muscles are divided into three groups: superficial (extrinsic), intermediate, and intrinsic (deep) back muscles. These muscles run from the neck, down the spine, to just above the hips.
Superficial Back Muscles
Superficial back muscles are the ones closest to the surface, just under the skin. They help with shoulder and neck movements and are usually the ones people think of when picturing back muscles. Superficial muscles include the latissimus dorsi (often shortened to lats), levator scapulae, rhomboids, trapezius (often shortened to traps), and serratus anterior. The latissimus dorsi muscles are the largest muscles in the upper half of the body, starting below the shoulder blades and extending to the spine in the lower back. The levator scapulae are smaller muscles that start at the side of the neck and extend to the shoulder blades. The rhomboid muscles connect the shoulder blades to the spine. The trapezius muscles start at the neck, go across the shoulders, and extend down to the lower back in a V shape. The serratus anterior muscles cover the top of the ribcage, just below the armpits.
Intermediate Back Muscles
Intermediate back muscles are located just above and below the ribcage. They help move the ribs, including during breathing. There are two intermediate back muscles: the serratus posterior superior and the serratus posterior inferior. The serratus posterior superior is the muscle in the space between the shoulder blades (the shoulder girdle) and is located under the rhomboid muscles. The serratus posterior inferior is the muscle at the bottom of the ribcage, located under the latissimus dorsi.
Intrinsic Back Muscles
The intrinsic muscles are the deepest layer of back muscles. They are located under the other two layers, closest to the spine. These muscles fuse with the vertebral column and are considered the true back muscles. Intrinsic back muscles are further divided into their own superficial, intermediate, and deep subgroups, with the names referencing their relative locations. The erector spinae are part of the intermediate group of intrinsic muscles and include the longissimus, iliocostalis, and spinalis muscles. They play a role in the movement of the thoracic cage and flexion of the upper vertebral column and head.
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Frequently asked questions
The three main groups of back muscles are the superficial (extrinsic), intermediate, and intrinsic (deep) back muscles. These muscles run from the neck, down the spine to just above the hips.
Superficial back muscles help move the shoulders. Examples include the latissimus dorsi, levator scapulae, rhomboids, trapezius, and serratus anterior.
Intermediate back muscles help move the ribs, including during breathing. There are two types: the serratus posterior superior and serratus posterior inferior.
Intrinsic back muscles are the deepest layer and are closest to the spine. They include the erector spinae and transversospinalis groups, which help control posture and movement of the vertebral column.
The psoas muscles, located on either side of the spine, help move the lower back, hips, and upper legs. The extensor, flexor, and oblique muscles also play crucial roles in spinal movement and posture maintenance.
