Muscle Trapezius

What is the Action of the Trapezius Muscle?

The trapezius muscle is a triangular-shaped muscle in the upper back. It is considered a superficial muscle because it moves the upper limbs, such as the shoulder and arm, and is one of the exterior-most back muscles. Essential to the movement of...

Definition of "Trapezius Muscle"

Your trapezius muscle is the muscle that runs along the dorsal, or back, side of your neck and shoulder. You can easily injure this muscle through sports or even simple activities such as yoga. This muscle regularly aids in daily activities and...

Lump in the Trapezius Muscle

The trapezius muscle is at the back of the neck and upper back. According to the Britannica Online Encyclopedia, the right and left trapezius form a trapezium, which is a shape with four irregular sides. The trapezius muscle allows you to lift...

How to Flex the Trapezius Muscle

The trapezius is a large, broad muscle that extends from the lower part of your thoracic spine to the base of your skull and to the collarbone and the shoulder blades. It works with other muscles in the shoulders and torso to move the shoulder...

Exercise for the Trapezius Muscle

Many fitness enthusiasts spend hours in the gym trying to build huge biceps or six-pack abs. A frequently overlooked muscle is the trapezius. You need a strong trapezius muscle to hold the shoulders up and support the upper back; it's increasingly...

How to Stretch the Trapezius Muscle

The trapezius muscle covers a large area of the back, neck and shoulders. Its main function is to move the scapula (shoulder blade) and help support your arms. If you spend a lot of time driving or sitting, the trapezius muscle tends to shorten,...

The Trapezius Muscle in the Shoulder

The trapezius is a large muscle that extends from your skull to your lower back. The location of the trapezius can make it a target for injury because it covers a large area. Damage to this one muscle can cause pain in your neck, back and...

How to Work the Trapezius Muscle

Your trapezius is the large trapezoid- or diamond-shaped muscle that makes up much of your upper back. It has three major functions. The upper fibers of your trapezius are responsible for elevating your shoulder girdle, as you do when shrugging...

Exercises for Trapezius Muscle

The trapezius is a triangle-shaped muscle that extends posteriorly from the skull to the thoracic region of the vertebral spine on either side of the neck. Functionally, the fibers of the trapezius rotate, abduct, adduct and lift and depress the...

Soreness in the Trapezius Muscle

The trapezius muscle is best described as the flat, triangular muscle that covers the back of the neck, shoulders and thorax. It consists of an upper and lower quadrant that work together to support the scapula, otherwise known as your shoulder...

Stretches for the Trapezius Muscle

The trapezius is the most superficial muscle of the back. It runs from the base of the skull to the middle of the back and works to stabilize and control movements of the scapulae (shoulder blades) as well as pull the shoulders up into a "shrug,"...

Causes of Sore Trapezius Muscle

The trapezius muscle, also called the traps, is a pair of large triangular muscles extending over the shoulders and back of the neck. It connects the base of the skull to the top of your shoulder blades and attaches to the spinous processes of the...

Innervation of the Upper Trapezius Muscle

The trapezius and the latissimus dorsi muscles make up the superficial extrinsic muscles of the back, with the trapezius covering the upper portion of the back and the latissimus dorsi covering the lower portion. The trapezius gets its name from...

Exercises to Relax the Trapezius Muscle

The trapezius muscle is a large muscle group that starts at the base of the skull, spreads over the top of the shoulders and ends at the lowest thoracic vertebra, in the region of your mid-back. It is shaped as an inverted triangle. This is the...

Exercises to Strengthen the Trapezius Muscle

The trapezius is located on your upper back and shoulders, extending from the bottom of your skull down to your middle back and fanning out to your shoulder blades. According to Dr. David Kent at Kent Health Systems, lack of strength in the...

Home Exercises for the Trapezius Muscle

Your trapezius muscles run from the base of your neck, across your shoulder blades and down along your spine. The muscles add mass to your upper back and neck, and serve to elevate, adduct and depress your shoulder blades. Build your trapezius...

Home Remedies for an Injured Trapezius Muscle

The trapezius muscle -- a triangular band of tissue that runs from the back of your neck to your middle back and helps you shrug your shoulders -- can literally give you a pain in the neck. Strain from overuse and injury can cause neck stiffness...

Trapezius Muscle Exercise

The trapezius muscles, or traps, are either of two flat triangular-shaped muscles of the shoulder and upper back. The trapezius muscles are involved in moving the shoulders and arms. Strong trapezius muscles are important for everyday functional...

The Best Ways to Relax a Tight Trapezius Muscle

Your trapezius muscle has three functional regions: superior, intermediate and inferior. The superior region, which supports the weight of your arm and is called your "upper" trapezius, typically is the portion of your trapezius muscle that...

Signs & Symptoms of a Tight Trapezius Muscle

The trapezius is a large muscle located in the posterior aspect of the upper torso. It extends longitudinally from the upper neck down through the thoracic vertebrae. The function of the trapezius is to move the scapula and support the arms. Lack...

Spasms of the Trapezius Muscle

The trapezius muscle is a large muscle located at the base of the neck, running down to the shoulder blades. A variety of conditions and actions can cause this muscle to spasm, some that require the attention of a doctor. Therefore, it is...

Trapezius Muscle Stretches

The trapezius is a roughly triangular-shaped muscle covering the back of the neck and part of the upper chest. The trapezius begins at the base of the skull and is attached to neck and spinal vertebrae, collarbone and shoulder blades. A taut...

Trapezius Muscle Strengthening

Your trapezius muscles are flat, triangular muscles located between your neck and the deltoid muscles near your shoulders. Also known as "traps," your trapezius rotate, retract and elevate your scapula, or shoulder blades, and extend your neck....

Exercises for the Trapezius Muscle

The bulk of your trapezius muscle sits directly between your shoulders. It's shaped roughly like a diamond. The upper fibers are primarily responsible for elevating your shoulder blades. The middle fibers elevate, rotate and bring the shoulder...

Trapezius Muscle Workouts

The trapezius runs from the base of your skull to your mid-back and is the most superficial muscle on your back. In her book "Anatomy and Physiology," Elaine Marieb describes a number of functions of the trapezius, which include stabilizing,...

How to Develop Your Trapezius Muscle

Your trapezius is a large, strong muscle that covers the majority of your upper back and descends to the middle of your back above your spine. Your trapezius muscle does more than provide you with a muscular upper back -- it stabilizes your...

How to Strengthen the Trapezius Muscle

You might notice that at the end of the day, you feel neck and shoulder tension or pain. This pain is partially related to a weak trapezius. The trapezius originates at the base of your skull and extends out toward your shoulders and mid-way down...

How to Treat an Inflamed Trapezius Muscle

The trapezius muscle runs from the base of the head to the shoulders. Because of its location and role in moving the neck and shoulders, the trapezius muscle is prone to inflammation caused by overuse and injury from repetitive stress. Pain and...

What Are the Treatments for Trapezius Muscle Tear?

The triangular trapezius muscle connects the shoulder with the base of the neck and upper spine. The two trapezius muscles form a diamond shape and facilitate the lateral movement of the neck and shoulders. Overuse, weightlifting or carrying heavy...

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