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Triceps brachiiMusculus triceps brachii

Three-headed muscle on the back of the upper arm that straightens the elbow.

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LatinMusculus triceps brachii
Origin
  • Long head: infraglenoid tubercle of the scapula
  • Lateral head: back of the humerus, above the radial groove
  • Medial head: back of the humerus, below the radial groove
Insertion
  • Olecranon process of the ulna
  • Back of the elbow joint capsule and the deep fascia of the forearm
Action
  • All heads: extend the elbow
  • Long head: extends and adducts the arm at the shoulder, and helps stabilise the shoulder joint
  • Steadies the elbow during fine hand movements, such as writing
NerveRadial nerve (C6–C8)
NameLatin triceps, 'three-headed', and brachii, 'of the arm'.

Palpation

  1. Client prone with the arm hanging off the table, or supine with the arm across the chest.
  2. Place your hand on the back of the upper arm; the whole area between the shoulder and the olecranon is triceps.
  3. Feel the long head on the inner back of the arm, running up between teres major and teres minor, and the lateral head on the outer back of the arm.
  4. Ask the client to straighten the elbow against light resistance; the muscle firms and the horseshoe shape of the heads becomes clear.

Landmarks: Olecranon

Triceps makes up nearly all of the back of the upper arm and is the main muscle that straightens the elbow. All three heads join into one tendon on the Olecranon, where the small Anconeus continues its work. Only the long head crosses the shoulder, so it also helps Latissimus dorsi pull the arm back and down.

The long head passes between Teres major and Teres minor, a useful landmark when working the back of the shoulder. Wikipedia lists the radial nerve without root levels; C6–C8 is the common textbook value, and the triceps reflex mainly tests C7. Wikipedia also notes that in some people the long head gets a branch from the axillary nerve.

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.
  • Wringing — A petrissage stroke where the hands lift the tissue and push and pull it across the body in opposite directions, like wringing out a towel.
  • Compression — Pressing straight down into a muscle with the palm, fist or forearm, holding briefly, then releasing and moving on.
  • 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

  • Anconeus — Small triangular muscle at the back of the elbow that helps the triceps straighten the elbow and steadies the joint.
  • Latissimus dorsi — Broad, flat, fan-shaped muscle of the lower and middle back that extends, adducts and medially rotates the arm.
  • 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.

Opposes

  • Biceps brachii — Two-headed muscle on the front of the upper arm that bends the elbow and turns the palm up.
  • Brachialis — Broad muscle under the biceps that is the strongest flexor of the elbow in any forearm position.
  • Brachioradialis — Long, superficial muscle on the thumb side of the forearm that flexes the elbow, most strongly with the thumb pointing up.

Used in routines

Sources

  1. Wikipedia: Triceps
  2. Wikipedia: Radial nerve