Welcome!
The Guide to Muscles is usable, but is still under construction. The latest update and additions occurred May 9, 2011.
This site is for massage therapists, physical therapists, chiropractors, doctors, and anyone interested in determining which muscles may be problematic in any given situation.
The greatest portion of the information found here is from Travell and Simons' Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: the Trigger Point Manual, by David Simons, M.D., Janet Travell, M.D., and Lois S. Simons, P.T. (Volume I. Upper Half of the Body, 1999; Volume II. Lower Half of the Body, 1993; Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, Pub.) Some of the information is from other sources, including personal experience. I have been a practicing massage therapist for almost 20 years, but have recently retired.
My intention is to provide a reference providing information about muscles that may be involved in specific instances of pain, activities, injury, medical conditions, postural problems, and other situations such as sleeping or sitting positions, et cetera. For instance, it is helpful to know which muscles may be involved in case of neck or shoulder pain after whiplash, or which muscles may be affected by the repetitive actions of certain sports or playing particular musical instruments. If a client or patient has a slouched posture, certain muscles will be involved; if instead he or she sits at a computer all day, other muscles will likely be involved.
You will find pages listed at the top of the left sidebar, and the list found on each page is in alphabetical order. The "Other Symptoms" page is the catch-all for situations that don't fit neatly in any other category. A special note about the "Medical Conditions" page: This is a list of many of the medical conditions Travell & Simons mention in the Differential sections of the chapters in their Trigger Point Manual. The muscles listed under each medical condition may be involved as a result of the medical condition, or trigger points in the muscles listed may be confused for the condition, or muscle shortening may add to the condition. My list does not include the information concerning how the muscle may be involved; for specifics I refer you to the chapters about each muscle in the Trigger Point Manual.
I am still in the process of adding information to these pages. And, in the future other reference pages may be added, including "Associated Muscles" and "Nervous System Aspects," possibly a "Muscle Function" list. Eventually there may also be a "Complete List," or a better search engine to make it even easier to find what you need quickly.
How to use this site: A massage therapist might, for instance, have a client arrive who complains he has one shoulder lower than the other, who also plays baseball regularly and is the pitcher on the team. Looking on the "Activities and Sports" page, under "Baseball," the therapist will find a list of muscles that can be affected by repeated throwing of a baseball. This is just a place to start, of course. Each person with a problem will be unique, due to many complex anatomical and physiological variables.
Although the information in this Guide to Muscles is coming from the Trigger Point Manual, I don't believe that a therapist must address the trigger points to be effective. In my experience, it is possible to use massage, myofascial techniques, tendon friction, to apply ice, or to use active isolated stretching to the appropriate muscles, and still achieve a significant response. Of course, knowledge of the trigger points and methods to address them can be helpful in any kind of bodywork, but that information is not included on this website. It is, however, included in Travell & Simons' Trigger Point Manual. I highly recommend reading the manual itself, although - as anyone who has seen the 1600-page two-volume set can attest - it is a huge undertaking. There is a wealth of other information in the manual; I have taken out the bits I wanted easy access to and put them here, in these lists.
What you can find here is which muscles to work on first. From there, it is a new journey every time.
If you want to give me feedback, to add or question information on this website, please email me directly at juliaarehart@charter.net.
Julia Arehart, LCMT (Licensed, Certified Massage Therapist)