| Latin | Musculus levator scapulae |
|---|---|
| Origin |
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| Insertion |
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| Action |
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| Nerve | Cervical nerves C3–C4, often with a branch of the dorsal scapular nerve (C3–C5) |
| Name | Latin levator, 'lifter', and scapulae, 'of the shoulder blade'. |
Palpation
- Client prone with the forehead in the face cradle; stand at the head of the table.
- Find the superior angle of the scapula at the top of the medial border, just above the spine of the scapula.
- Slide the fingertips up and slightly in from the superior angle, through the upper trapezius, towards the side of the neck.
- Ask the client to shrug the shoulder a little towards the ear; feel the levator tighten under the trapezius near its insertion.
Clients often point to the top inner corner of the shoulder blade when they describe a “knot” in the neck and shoulder, and that is where levator scapulae attaches. Its lower end lies under the upper fibres of Trapezius, and its upper end lies under Sternocleidomastoid, next to Splenius capitis and the Scalenes.
To tell it apart from the trapezius, follow the fibre direction. Upper trapezius fibres run out towards the Acromion; levator runs more steeply, from the Medial border of scapula up to the side of the neck. A shrug tightens both, so feel for the steeper, rope-like band underneath.
Sources differ slightly on the origin. Gray’s lists the transverse processes of the atlas and axis plus the posterior tubercles of C3–C4, while Wikipedia summarises it as the posterior tubercles of C1–C4.