| Latin | Musculus orbicularis oculi |
|---|---|
| Origin |
|
| Insertion |
|
| Action |
|
| Nerve | Facial nerve (CN VII), temporal and zygomatic branches |
| Name | Latin orbiculus, 'small disc or circle', and oculus, 'eye' — the ring muscle around the eye. |
Palpation
- Client supine with eyes closed; sit at the head of the table.
- Place your finger pads lightly on the bony rim of the eye socket, on the cheekbone below the eye or on the brow bone above it, never on the eyeball or eyelid.
- Feel a thin, soft layer over the bone that moves with the skin.
- Ask the client to squeeze the eyes shut gently; feel the orbital part tighten in a ring under your fingers, then release.
The orbicularis oculi is a flat ring of muscle around the eye, and the only muscle that can close the eyelids. Its thin palpebral part lies in the eyelids and blinks; its thicker orbital part lies over the bony rim of the eye socket and squeezes the eyes shut. People who squint at screens or in bright light often hold tension in the orbital part and around the brow.
In Head, face and scalp — 20 min massage, work only on the bony rim of the eye socket, never on the eyeball or the eyelid. Light strokes along the brow bone from the inner to the outer corner, gentle holds at the temples, and feather-light strokes under the eye along the top of the cheekbone are used. Use very little product near the eyes, check whether the client wears contact lenses, and keep pressure light because the skin here is thin.
The orbicularis oculi pulls the eyebrow down and closes the eye, which opposes the Frontalis, which lifts the brow. Its outer fibres blend with the frontalis above and with the cheek muscles, including the Zygomaticus, below.