The scalene muscles are a muscle group in your neck. You have 60 to 70 muscles in yourneck, head, and face area. The scalenes are made up of three pairs of muscles, with one set located on either side of your body.
When the scalenes are healthy and working in a balanced way, they help support the upright posture of yourcervical spine, which is the upper part of your spine. Sometimes the scalenes can give you problems because they’re prone to a lot of tension.
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The Three Scalene Muscles
Before we dive into these conditions and what you can do to loosen your scalenes, let’s take a closer look at the three muscle groups that make up your scalenes.
To imagine what the scalenes look like, you might think of the angled rigging of a ship’s mast. The scalenes resemble this and are positioned on the neck and collarbone similarly.
Anterior Scalenes
Of the three muscles that make up the scalenes, the anterior is located closest to the front. Like all scalene muscles, it is considered a side neck muscle. It has more than one function.
It’s helpful to remember that you have these muscles on both sides of your neck. When acting only on one side of your neck, the anterior scalene can bend and rotate your neck. When both of your anterior scalenes work together, they flex (bend) your neck.
The anterior scalene also lifts the first rib, but that’s a pretty subtle action that you might not be aware of while it’s happening. It is considered an accessory breathing muscle because it lifts the first rib during an inhale.
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Medial Scalenes
The medial scalene (scalenus medius) resides between the anterior and posterior branches of the scalene muscle. As with the other muscle branches of this group, your left or right medial scalene can contract (move) alone, or your medial scalenes can contract together.
When only one side contracts, it elevates (lifts) the first rib to flex and laterally bend (move to the side) the neck. Like the anterior scalene, the medial scalene muscle is considered an accessory breathing muscle because it lifts the first rib during inhalation.
When both medial scalenes contract, they flex the neck. These actions are similar to those of the anterior scalene because the attachment sites (origins and insertions) are located near one another.
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Posterior Scalenes
The posterior (back) scalene occupies the farthest back position of all the scalene muscle branches. It does not contribute to the scalene triangle; only the anterior and medial branches do that.
When only one posterior scalene is contracting, it flexes and rotates the neck joints. When both posterior scalenes contract, they cause the neck to flex and raise the second rib, an action that may be difficult to detect when it’s happening.
The posterior scalene muscle is considered an accessory breathing muscle because it lifts the second rib during inhalation.
The Scalene Triangle
The anterior and medial scalene, together with part of the first rib, form an anatomical area known as the scalene triangle. Another name for this formation is the scalene fissure or scalene haitus.
The scalene triangle is important because thebrachial plexusnerve complex branches pass through it. Scalene tension may compress these branches, and that may be a sign ofthoracic outlet syndrome(TOS).
What Makes the Scalene Muscles Tight
The scalenes are implicated in a number of neck problems. Below are a few of the more common ones.
Torticollis
Torticollis, also known as wry neck, is a condition in which your neck muscles stay contracted in chronically shortened positions. All of the scalene muscles are involved in torticollis.
Sometimes torticollis occurs due to genetic factors that affect the nervous system. It can also develop due to trauma or drugs.
Forward Head Posture and Dowager’s Hump
Forward head postureor dowager’s hump occurs when the anterior scalenes are hard, tight, and short, pulling the lower cervical vertebra forward into a rigidly flexed position. If you have this condition, you may need to bring your head up so you can see what’s in front of you.
When they are rigidly tight in the forward head position, the scalenes can’t counterbalance tension in the back of the neck. Maintaining this position chronically can perpetuate this posture problem.
Although usually considered cervical flexors (they bend the neck forward), once the neck is extended in this way the scalenes can become cervical extensors (they are used to bend the neck backward).
Whiplash
Respiratory Problems
Acute and Chronic Shortness of Breath
Tips for Happy Scalene Muscles
Stretching your scalenes is important:
Alternative treatments and movement systems such as Feldenkrais, the Alexander Technique, and somatics may help loosen tight scalene muscles.
Depending on the cause of your scalene muscle tension, getting regular massages might also help keep these muscles flexible.
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3 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.Hooper TL, Denton J, McGalliard MK, Brismée JM, Sizer PS Jr.Thoracic outlet syndrome: a controversial clinical condition. Part 1: anatomy, and clinical examination/diagnosis.J Man Manip Ther. 2010;18(2):74–83. doi:10.1179/106698110X12640740712734Tomczak KK, Rosman NP.Torticollis.J Child Neurol.2013;28(3):365-78. doi:10.1177/0883073812469294Massage & Bodywork Magazine Online.Working with the scalenes. January/February 2011.
3 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.Hooper TL, Denton J, McGalliard MK, Brismée JM, Sizer PS Jr.Thoracic outlet syndrome: a controversial clinical condition. Part 1: anatomy, and clinical examination/diagnosis.J Man Manip Ther. 2010;18(2):74–83. doi:10.1179/106698110X12640740712734Tomczak KK, Rosman NP.Torticollis.J Child Neurol.2013;28(3):365-78. doi:10.1177/0883073812469294Massage & Bodywork Magazine Online.Working with the scalenes. January/February 2011.
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.
Hooper TL, Denton J, McGalliard MK, Brismée JM, Sizer PS Jr.Thoracic outlet syndrome: a controversial clinical condition. Part 1: anatomy, and clinical examination/diagnosis.J Man Manip Ther. 2010;18(2):74–83. doi:10.1179/106698110X12640740712734Tomczak KK, Rosman NP.Torticollis.J Child Neurol.2013;28(3):365-78. doi:10.1177/0883073812469294Massage & Bodywork Magazine Online.Working with the scalenes. January/February 2011.
Hooper TL, Denton J, McGalliard MK, Brismée JM, Sizer PS Jr.Thoracic outlet syndrome: a controversial clinical condition. Part 1: anatomy, and clinical examination/diagnosis.J Man Manip Ther. 2010;18(2):74–83. doi:10.1179/106698110X12640740712734
Tomczak KK, Rosman NP.Torticollis.J Child Neurol.2013;28(3):365-78. doi:10.1177/0883073812469294
Massage & Bodywork Magazine Online.Working with the scalenes. January/February 2011.
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