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| Latin | Platysma |
|---|---|
| Origin |
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| Insertion |
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| Action |
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| Nerve | Cervical branch of the facial nerve (CN VII) |
| Name | Greek platysma, 'a flat plate'; it is a broad, thin sheet. |
Palpation
- Client supine; sit at the head of the table.
- Rest the flat fingers lightly on the front and side of the neck, below the jaw.
- Ask the client to clench the teeth and pull the corners of the mouth down and out, like a grimace; see and feel thin vertical bands tighten under the skin.
- Keep contact light and at skin level; the muscle is so thin that deeper structures lie directly beneath it.
The platysma is a muscle of facial expression that spreads down over the neck and the top of the chest. It covers the lower part of Sternocleidomastoid and reaches up to Orbicularis oris at the corner of the mouth. The external jugular vein runs just beneath it.
In massage you meet it during light strokes over the front of the neck and the upper chest, for example in a face and décolletage sequence. Because the tissue here is thin and lies over important vessels, use only light Effleurage and never deep pressure.