Massage.
MuscleBackintermediateDraft

Rhomboid majorMusculus rhomboideus major

Diamond-shaped muscle between the spine and the shoulder blade that pulls the scapula towards the spine and holds it against the ribs.

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LatinMusculus rhomboideus major
Origin
  • Spinous processes of T2–T5
  • Supraspinous ligament
Insertion
  • Medial border of the scapula, from the root of the spine of the scapula down to the inferior angle
Action
  • Retracts the scapula (draws it towards the spine)
  • Downwardly rotates the scapula
  • Holds the scapula against the thoracic wall
NerveDorsal scapular nerve (C5)
NameGreek rhombos, a diamond shape; 'major' because it is the larger of the two rhomboids.

Palpation

  1. Client prone with the arms by the sides; stand beside the table.
  2. Find the medial border of the scapula, then place the flat fingers between it and the thoracic spinous processes.
  3. Feel through the trapezius for fibres running diagonally down and out, from the spine to the scapula.
  4. Ask the client to rest the back of the hand on the lower back and lift it slightly off the body; the rhomboids firm up along the medial border.

Landmarks: Medial border of scapula · Inferior angle of scapula · Spine of scapula

The rhomboids sit under the middle Trapezius, in the area clients often describe as an ache “between the shoulder blades”. Rhomboid major is the lower and larger of the pair; Rhomboid minor lies just above it at the level of the Spine of scapula.

Fibre direction helps you tell the layers apart. Middle trapezius fibres run straight across, while rhomboid fibres run diagonally down and out to the scapula. Medial to the rhomboids, the vertical columns of Erector spinae run beside the spine.

Techniques

  • Effleurage — Long, gliding strokes with the whole palm that spread the medium, warm the tissue and link the other strokes together.
  • Petrissage — Kneading strokes that compress, lift and squeeze the muscle away from the bone, working the tissue between the hands.
  • Circular friction — Small circles made with the finger or thumb pads that move the skin over the deeper tissue without sliding, to work a specific spot.
  • Compression — Pressing straight down into a muscle with the palm, fist or forearm, holding briefly, then releasing and moving on.

Works with

  • Rhomboid minor — Small band-like muscle from the base of the neck to the top of the scapula's medial border that retracts the scapula and holds it against the ribs.
  • Trapezius — Large diamond-shaped muscle of the upper back and neck that moves and stabilises the scapula.
  • Levator scapulae — Strap-like muscle at the back and side of the neck that lifts the scapula and helps bend and turn the neck to the same side.

Opposes

  • Serratus anterior — Saw-toothed muscle on the side of the ribcage that pulls the scapula forwards around the chest and helps rotate it upwards.
  • Pectoralis minor — Thin, triangular muscle under pectoralis major that draws the scapula forwards and down against the chest wall.

Used in routines

Sources

  1. Wikipedia, Rhomboid major muscle
  2. Gray's Anatomy (1918), IV. Myology 7a: The Muscles Connecting the Upper Extremity to the Vertebral Column (Public domain; Bartleby edition read via the Internet Archive.)