Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsAnatomyFunctionConditionsTreatmentExercises
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Anatomy
Function
Conditions
Treatment
Exercises
The latissimus dorsi muscles or “lats” are triangular back muscles located below the shoulder blade and to the left and right of the spine. The lats are large muscles, extending from the shoulder blades, across the back, and to the pelvis.
Lats help you stabilize your back while extending your shoulders, so you can do things like pull-ups, vertical climbing, and swimming. Your lats also help you breathe.
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Latissimus Dorsi Anatomy
Thelatissimus dorsior “lats” muscles are large, flat muscles located below your shoulder blade. They help keep your back stable while you move your shoulders.
Most muscles attach to a bone at each end. These places of attachment are known as the origin andinsertionpoints.
Latissimus Dorsi Function
Strong lats help you use your arms to pull your body weight up. Examples of activities that use the lats extensively include doing chin-ups, rock climbing, and swimming.
With your trunk stationary, the lats turn your arm in, bringing it closer to the midline of your body. They also extend your shoulder joint back, which allows you to bring your arm back. The lats can do these movements separately or in combination with one another.
Other things the latissimus dorsi does is to bring the whole shoulder girdle down (called depression), as well as assist in the act of side bending (called lateral flexion). When both lats are working at the same time, they assist with arching the spine (calledhyperextension) and withtilting the pelvis anteriorly.
The lats also assist with the breathing process. They are called an “accessory breathing muscle,” which means they enhance the movements of the trunk during inhalation and exhalation.
Your lats lift (expand) the circumference of the rib cage when you inhale, which may increase the volume of air that enters your lungs. During exhalation, the latissimus dorsi muscle helps decrease the circumference of the trunk, which may have the effect of squeezing more air out.
Conditions Affecting the Latissimus Dorsi
Injury and certain physical conditions can affect your lats. Some of these include:
If you have an injury to your lats, you should see your healthcare provider right away. He or she can diagnose the problem and get you started on treatment.
Treatment and rehab for a latissimus problem will vary depending on the problem. The initial treatment is typically rest, anti-inflammatory medication like Motrin (ibuprofen) or Aleve (naproxen), moist heat, and sometimes muscle relaxers. Most often, working with a physical therapist can help you regain full function.
Physical therapy exercises for latissimus dorsi may include:
Your latissimus exercise program should be tailored to your needs. Working with a professional can ensure you do the right things, at the right time, to get back to full function quickly.
3 Best Exercises for Strengthening Lats
You can strengthen your lats with activities such as climbing and swimming. A few exercises that specifically target the lats include:
Summary
The latissimus dorsi muscles are the largest muscles on the back. These two triangle-shaped muscles are found just below the shoulder blade on each side, and extend along the spine, down to the pelvis, and across the width of the back.
The lats help stabilize your back as you use your shoulders. You use your lats when you do exercises such as pull-ups, climbing, and swimming. They also help you breathe.
If you’ve injured your lats, physical therapy and exercises such as shoulder extensions and stretches and low back stretches can help you regain function.
4 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Burnier M, Lafosse T.Pectoralis major and anterior latissimus dorsi transfer for subscapularis tears.Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2020;13(6):725-733. doi:10.1007/s12178-020-09674-4Hik F, Ackland DC.The moment arms of the muscles spanning the glenohumeral joint: a systematic review.J Anat. 2019;234(1):1-15. doi:10.1111/joa.12903Carlson S, Hunt W, Johnson J.Pulmonary recovery positions increase EMG activity in accessory respiratory muscles.Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects. 2017:552.Martinez JP, Lovaglio A, Masi GD, Mandolesi J, Zancolli P, Socolovsky M.Thoracodorsal to long thoracic nerve transfer in a patient with traumatic injury: A case report.Surg Neurol Int. 2024;15:163. doi:10.25259/SNI_91_2024.
4 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Burnier M, Lafosse T.Pectoralis major and anterior latissimus dorsi transfer for subscapularis tears.Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2020;13(6):725-733. doi:10.1007/s12178-020-09674-4Hik F, Ackland DC.The moment arms of the muscles spanning the glenohumeral joint: a systematic review.J Anat. 2019;234(1):1-15. doi:10.1111/joa.12903Carlson S, Hunt W, Johnson J.Pulmonary recovery positions increase EMG activity in accessory respiratory muscles.Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects. 2017:552.Martinez JP, Lovaglio A, Masi GD, Mandolesi J, Zancolli P, Socolovsky M.Thoracodorsal to long thoracic nerve transfer in a patient with traumatic injury: A case report.Surg Neurol Int. 2024;15:163. doi:10.25259/SNI_91_2024.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Burnier M, Lafosse T.Pectoralis major and anterior latissimus dorsi transfer for subscapularis tears.Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2020;13(6):725-733. doi:10.1007/s12178-020-09674-4Hik F, Ackland DC.The moment arms of the muscles spanning the glenohumeral joint: a systematic review.J Anat. 2019;234(1):1-15. doi:10.1111/joa.12903Carlson S, Hunt W, Johnson J.Pulmonary recovery positions increase EMG activity in accessory respiratory muscles.Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects. 2017:552.Martinez JP, Lovaglio A, Masi GD, Mandolesi J, Zancolli P, Socolovsky M.Thoracodorsal to long thoracic nerve transfer in a patient with traumatic injury: A case report.Surg Neurol Int. 2024;15:163. doi:10.25259/SNI_91_2024.
Burnier M, Lafosse T.Pectoralis major and anterior latissimus dorsi transfer for subscapularis tears.Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2020;13(6):725-733. doi:10.1007/s12178-020-09674-4
Hik F, Ackland DC.The moment arms of the muscles spanning the glenohumeral joint: a systematic review.J Anat. 2019;234(1):1-15. doi:10.1111/joa.12903
Carlson S, Hunt W, Johnson J.Pulmonary recovery positions increase EMG activity in accessory respiratory muscles.Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects. 2017:552.
Martinez JP, Lovaglio A, Masi GD, Mandolesi J, Zancolli P, Socolovsky M.Thoracodorsal to long thoracic nerve transfer in a patient with traumatic injury: A case report.Surg Neurol Int. 2024;15:163. doi:10.25259/SNI_91_2024.
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