Massage.
MuscleShoulderintermediateDraft

Teres majorMusculus teres major

Thick, rounded muscle from the inferior angle of the scapula to the front of the humerus that pulls the arm down, back and inwards.

No image yet
LatinMusculus teres major
Origin
  • Posterior surface of the inferior angle of the scapula
Insertion
  • Medial lip of the intertubercular (bicipital) groove of the humerus
Action
  • Adducts the arm
  • Medially (internally) rotates the arm
  • Extends the arm from a flexed position
NerveLower subscapular nerve (C5–C6)
NameLatin teres, 'rounded', and major, 'larger' — the larger of the two round muscles on the lateral border of the scapula.

Palpation

  1. Client prone with the arm hanging off the side of the table.
  2. Find the inferior angle of the scapula and move your fingers up and out along the lateral border.
  3. Pinch the thick fold of muscle between thumb and fingers; teres major is the upper part of this fold, with latissimus dorsi wrapping around it.
  4. Ask the client to rotate the arm inwards (turn the palm backwards) against light resistance to feel it firm up.

Landmarks: Inferior angle of scapula

Teres major is sometimes called “lat’s little helper” because it does almost the same job as Latissimus dorsi and runs alongside it into the arm. It is not part of the rotator cuff, even though it sits next to Teres minor. It attaches to the front of the humerus, not the head, so it moves the arm rather than holding it in its socket.

Tell the two teres muscles apart with resisted rotation. Teres major firms up with medial rotation, teres minor with lateral rotation. Wikipedia notes that teres major may also get fibres from the thoracodorsal nerve (C5–C8), the nerve to latissimus dorsi. The muscle is usually worked with the client prone, around the Inferior angle of scapula.

Techniques

  • Petrissage — Kneading strokes that compress, lift and squeeze the muscle away from the bone, working the tissue between the hands.
  • Compression — Pressing straight down into a muscle with the palm, fist or forearm, holding briefly, then releasing and moving on.
  • 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.
  • Passive stretching — The therapist gently moves a relaxed limb to lengthen a muscle to a point of mild stretch and holds it there, with no effort from the client.

Works with

  • Latissimus dorsi — Broad, flat, fan-shaped muscle of the lower and middle back that extends, adducts and medially rotates the arm.
  • Subscapularis — Large, triangular rotator cuff muscle on the front of the scapula that medially rotates the arm and guards the front of the shoulder joint.
  • Pectoralis major — Large, fan-shaped chest muscle that flexes, adducts and medially rotates the arm.

Opposes

  • Deltoid — Thick, triangular muscle that caps the shoulder and is the main muscle for lifting the arm out to the side.
  • Infraspinatus — Thick, flat rotator cuff muscle below the spine of the scapula that laterally rotates the arm and steadies the shoulder joint.
  • Teres minor — Narrow rotator cuff muscle along the lateral border of the scapula that laterally rotates the arm and stops the humerus riding upwards.
  • Supraspinatus — Rotator cuff muscle above the spine of the scapula that starts arm abduction and holds the head of the humerus in its socket.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia: Teres major muscle
  2. Wikipedia: Lower subscapular nerve