Muscle Library
The Muscle Library, A–Z
Every muscle page in the library, alphabetically. Each covers where that muscle sends pain, what the pattern feels like, what it gets mistaken for, and how I examine and treat it. If you know where it hurts but not which muscle, start with the Pain Finder instead.
A
Abdominal Obliques: Pain Pattern and Treatment — Abdominal oblique trigger points and referral pattern: heartburn-like upper abdominal pain and groin pain from the lateral abdominal wall.
Adductor Group: Pain Pattern and Treatment — Adductor longus and brevis trigger points: groin pain spreading down the inner thigh to the knee.
B
Biceps Brachii — Biceps brachii trigger points refer superficial pain to the front of the shoulder — often misread as bicipital tendinitis.
Brachioradialis: Pain Pattern and Treatment — Brachioradialis trigger points and referral pattern: outer-elbow ache running down the thumb side of the forearm to the base of the thumb.
D
Deep Foot Muscles: Pain Pattern and Treatment — Quadratus plantae and deep foot muscle trigger points: deep plantar heel pain, ball-of-foot ache, and inner-heel pain often labeled plantar fasciitis.
Deltoid: Pain Pattern and Treatment — Deltoid trigger points and referral pattern: pain felt locally in the shoulder cap itself, worse with movement.
E
Erector Spinae: Pain Pattern and Treatment — Erector spinae trigger points: referral below their own level, broad stiffness, a band across the back.
F
Forearm Extensor Group: Pain Pattern and Treatment — Forearm extensor trigger points and referral pattern: outer-elbow pain spreading over the back of the forearm to the wrist and hand.
Forearm Flexor Group: Pain Pattern and Treatment — Forearm flexor trigger points and referral pattern: volar wrist and palm pain from the wrist and finger flexors, often mistaken for carpal tunnel.
G
Gastrocnemius: Pain Pattern and Treatment — Gastrocnemius trigger points and referral pattern: calf pain and instep ache, with night calf cramps in the documented territory.
Gluteus Maximus — Gluteus maximus trigger points refer pain within the buttock — sacral edge, sit bone, and tailbone — worse with sitting and uphill walking.
Gluteus Medius: Pain Pattern and Treatment — Gluteus medius trigger points and referral pattern: pain over the belt line, sacrum, and outer buttock read as low back pain.
Gluteus Minimus: Pain Pattern and Treatment — Gluteus minimus trigger points: referral down the leg to the ankle, the classic sciatica mimic.
H
Hamstrings: Pain Pattern and Treatment — Hamstring trigger points and referral pattern: lower buttock and posterior thigh pain reaching the back of the knee.
I
Iliopsoas: Pain Pattern and Treatment — Iliopsoas trigger points: vertical low back pain and front-of-hip pain from the primary hip flexor.
Infraspinatus: Pain Pattern and Treatment — Infraspinatus trigger points and referral pattern: a shoulder blade muscle producing deep front-of-shoulder pain that runs down the arm.
L
Latissimus Dorsi — Latissimus dorsi trigger points cause a constant mid-back ache at the lower shoulder blade, spilling down the inner arm to the ring and little fingers.
Levator Scapulae: Pain Pattern and Treatment — Levator scapulae trigger points and referral pattern: the stiff neck muscle, pain at the angle of the neck with blocked same-side rotation.
Lower Trapezius — Lower trapezius trigger points refer pain upward — suprascapular ache, shoulder-point pain, and a burning line along the inner shoulder blade.
M
Masseter: Pain Pattern and Treatment — Masseter trigger points and referral pattern: jaw and cheek pain, tooth sensitivity, and pain over the TMJ that mimics joint problems.
Middle Trapezius — Middle trapezius trigger points cause burning between the shoulder blades and aching at the point of the shoulder.
P
Pectoralis Major: Pain Pattern and Treatment — Pectoralis major trigger points and referral pattern: chest and front-of-shoulder pain running down the inner arm.
Peroneal Group: Pain Pattern and Treatment — Peroneal trigger points and referral pattern: outer-ankle pain behind and below the ankle bone that imitates a sprain that never healed.
Piriformis: Pain Pattern and Treatment — Piriformis trigger points and referral pattern: deep buttock ache with sitting, possible sciatic nerve irritation.
Popliteus: Pain Pattern and Treatment — Popliteus trigger points: pain at the back of the knee with spill into the upper calf, worse crouching and descending stairs.
Q
Quadratus Lumborum: Pain Pattern and Treatment — Quadratus lumborum trigger points and referral pattern: deep, aching low back pain into the SI region, buttock, and iliac crest.
Quadriceps: Pain Pattern and Treatment — Vastus medialis and rectus femoris trigger points: front-of-knee and deep knee pain with aching in the lower anterior thigh.
R
Rectus Abdominis: Pain Pattern and Treatment — Rectus abdominis trigger points and referral pattern: pain around the navel, horizontal back bands, and a lower-right zone that mimics appendicitis.
Rhomboids: Pain Pattern and Treatment — Rhomboid trigger points and referral pattern: aching along the inner edge of the shoulder blade that persists at rest.
S
Scalenes: Pain Pattern and Treatment — Scalene trigger points and referral pattern: neck muscles producing chest, upper back, and arm symptoms into the thumb side of the hand.
Serratus Anterior: Pain Pattern and Treatment — Serratus anterior trigger points and referral pattern: side-of-chest pain at mid-rib level with referral down the inner arm.
Soleus: Pain Pattern and Treatment — Soleus trigger points and referral pattern: heel pain, Achilles-line ache, and first-step morning pain often labeled plantar fasciitis.
Sternocleidomastoid: Pain Pattern and Treatment — SCM trigger points and referral pattern: a front-of-neck muscle producing forehead, eye, ear, and cheek pain, with dizziness described on head turns.
Suboccipitals: Pain Pattern and Treatment — Suboccipital trigger points and referral pattern: a band of headache from the skull base to the eye and forehead, felt inside the head.
Subscapularis: Pain Pattern and Treatment — Subscapularis trigger points and referral pattern: severe back-of-shoulder pain with a documented band of referral at the wrist.
Supraspinatus: Pain Pattern and Treatment — Supraspinatus trigger points and referral pattern: a deep ache at the outer shoulder running down the outside of the arm toward the elbow.
T
Temporalis: Pain Pattern and Treatment — Temporalis trigger points and referral pattern: temple headache, pain along the eyebrow, and upper tooth sensitivity.
Tensor Fasciae Latae (TFL): Pain Pattern and Treatment — Tensor fasciae latae trigger points: hip joint pain at the greater trochanter running down the outer thigh, often mistaken for bursitis.
Thumb Muscles: Pain Pattern and Treatment — Adductor and opponens pollicis trigger points: aching at the base of the thumb and along the thumb, often labeled texting thumb.
Tibialis Anterior: Pain Pattern and Treatment — Tibialis anterior trigger points and referral pattern: front-of-ankle pain and a line down the shin into the big toe.
Triceps: Pain Pattern and Treatment — Triceps trigger points and referral pattern: aching down the back of the arm to the elbow and dorsal forearm.
U
Upper Trapezius: Pain Pattern and Treatment — Upper trapezius trigger points and referral pattern: neck pain climbing to the temple and behind the eye, the classic tension headache path.
This page is educational. It describes muscle referral patterns commonly associated with pain; it does not diagnose your condition. Individual patterns vary. For evaluation of your specific pain, see a licensed clinician. Seek immediate medical care for emergencies. Eugene Baek, L.Ac. · New Jersey License 25MZ00080600