Back Muscles

What are the muscles of the back?

Your back has many different muscles. Some support your spine and trunk (your midsection or torso). Others help you stand up, maintain your posture and help you move. Some even help you breathe.

Back muscles are skeletal muscles — they’re part of your musculoskeletal system.

Because your back muscles support so much of your weight and help you perform so many movements, it shouldn’t be a surprise that they’re some of the most commonly injured muscles. Back muscle issues are one of the most common causes of low back pain.

Visit a healthcare provider if you’re experiencing back pain or think you’ve injured your back.

What do back muscles do?

Your back muscles support your body and help you move. They’re the main structural support for your trunk. They keep you stable and help you maintain your posture when you’re moving or sitting still.

Your back muscles work together to reposition your torso. If you choose to change your position, your back muscles move your back and torso. But even if you’re not actively thinking about it, your back muscles are constantly holding you in place. It’s like having a built-in security system for your posture.

Muscles in your back help you move other parts of your body too, including your:

• Head.
• Neck.
• Shoulders.
• Arms.
• Legs.

Your back muscles work together to allow you to bend over, twist, turn your head and extend your back. They also help you breathe by expanding and contracting your chest when you breathe in (inhale) and out (exhale). This is an involuntary action — something your body does automatically without you controlling it.

What is the anatomy of back muscles?

Your back muscles start just under your skull, go across your shoulders and run all the way down your spine to your lower back (just above your hips).

They attach to bones across your body, including your:

• Vertebrae (the bones that make up your spinal column).
• Ribs.
• Shoulder blades (scapulae).

What are the three groups of back muscles?

Healthcare providers divide your back muscles into three groups or layers:

• Superficial (extrinsic) back muscles.
• Intermediate back muscles.
• Intrinsic (deep) back muscles.

Superficial back muscles

Superficial back muscles are the ones closest to the surface just under your skin. They help you move your shoulders. They’re usually the ones people think of when picturing their back muscles. Superficial muscles include your:

• Latissimus dorsi: People usually shorten this name to lats. Your lat muscles are the largest muscles in the upper half of your body. They start below your shoulder blades and extend to your spine in your lower back.
• Levator scapulae: These are smaller muscles that start at the side of your neck and extend to your shoulder blades.
• Rhomboids: The rhomboid muscles connect your shoulder blades to your spine.
• Trapezius: Most people know trapezius muscles by the shortened name traps. Your traps start at your neck, go across your shoulders and extend down to your lower back in a V shape.
• Serratus anterior: The serratus anterior muscles cover the top of your ribcage, just below your armpits.

Intermediate back muscles

The intermediate back muscles are just above and below your ribcage. They help move your ribs, including when you’re breathing. You have two intermediate back muscles:

• Serratus posterior superior: The muscle in the space between your shoulder blades (the shoulder girdle). It’s under your rhomboid muscles.
• Serratus posterior inferior: The muscle at the bottom of your ribcage. It’s under your lats.

Intrinsic back muscles

The intrinsic muscles are the deepest layer of back muscles. They’re under the other two layers, closest to your spine. Healthcare providers divide intrinsic back muscles into their own superficial, intermediate and deep subgroups.

Even though they use the same names, they’re still all part of the intrinsic group. The repeated subgroup names reference where they’re located compared to each other. So, for example, your superficial intrinsic muscles are closer to the surface of your skin than your intermediate intrinsic muscles. And your deep intrinsic muscles are underneath all the other groups and subgroups.

What are back muscles made of?

Your muscles are made of thousands of small fibers woven together. These fibers stretching and pressing together is what allow your body to move when you squeeze a muscle. Your back muscles weave together like a quilt that covers your back. They run in all directions and work together to move you and your body.

What are common back muscle injuries?

Back strains are the most common back muscle injury. Muscle strains (pulled muscles) happen when you overuse a muscle or lift something incorrectly. The strands of muscle fiber are stretched beyond their limit and tear apart. You’ve seen this happen if you’ve ever tried to use an old bungee cord to hold something in place.

Back muscle injury symptoms

The most common symptoms of a back muscle injury include:

• Muscle pain.
• Muscle tightness.
• Muscle weakness.
• Stiffness.
• Back spasms.
• Swelling.
• Bruising or skin discoloration.

How do providers treat back muscle injuries?

A healthcare provider will suggest treatments depending on which type of injury you have (and its severity), including:

• Rest: Avoid the activity that caused your injury. Try not to use your back for intense physical activities while it heals. Your provider will tell you how long you should take a break from working out, training or doing physical work.
• Heat and/or ice: Apply a warm compress or ice pack to your back 15 minutes at a time a few times a day. Your provider may suggest alternating heat and ice. Wrap heating pads and ice packs in a towel or thin cloth so they’re not directly touching your skin.
• Medications: Over-the-counter medications like NSAIDs or acetaminophen can relieve pain and reduce swelling. Your provider will tell you which type of medication to take and how often it’s safe to take it. Don’t take pain relievers for more than 10 days in a row without talking to your provider.
• Physical therapy (PT): A physical therapist will give you movements and exercises that strengthen your muscles and increase your flexibility. PT can also relieve pain, improve your posture and help you prevent future injuries.

How can I take care of my back muscles?

Stretching and warming up before exercise or physical activity are the best ways to prevent muscle injuries. Increasing your overall flexibility will also protect your muscles from injuries. The more flexible you are, the more room your muscle fibers have to stretch before they begin to tear.

Increase your activity level gradually. Don’t suddenly ramp up your training intensity or start exercising way more often than you usually do.

When should I see a healthcare provider?

Visit a healthcare provider if you’re experiencing back pain that doesn’t get better in a week with rest and other at-home treatments. Go to the emergency room if you have any of the following symptoms:

• Fever.
• Numbness, tingling or weakness in your legs.
• Severe pain, muscle spasms or muscle weakness.
• Sudden, unexplained weight loss.
• Problems controlling your bladder or bowels.

When should I call my doctor about my back muscles?

If you have back pain that doesn’t get better with pain relievers and rest, call a healthcare provider. Get help right away if you have:

• Fever.
• Numbness, tingling or weakness in your legs.
• Severe pain, muscle spasms or muscle weakness.
• Sudden or severe weight loss, problems controlling your bladder or bowels.