Muscles that move the head
Trapezius
muscle that allows you to shrug your shoulders or extend your head O: occipital bone and spines of cervical/thoracic vertebrae. I:clavicle and spine/acromion process of scapula. Inn:Accesory nerve;anterior rami of spinal nerves C3-C4
Anterior, middle, and posterior scalenes
Unilateral contraction causes ipsilateral flexion or contralateral rotation (tilts head toward the same shoulder. or rotates face away) depending on action of other muscles. Bilateral contraction flexes neck. If spine is fixed, elevates ribs 1-2 aid in breathing O:Tranverse processses of all cervicle vertebrea C1-C7 I:Ribs 1-2 Innervation:Anterior rami of spinal nerves C3-C8
Sternocleidomastoid
flexes neck, rotates head O:manubrium of sternum;medial one third of clavicle I:Mastoid process;lateral half of superior nuchal line Innervetion;accesory nerve;spinal nerves C2-C3
Semispinalis capitis and semispinalis cervicis
Extend and contralaterally rotate head O: Articular processes of vertebrae C4-C7; transverse processes of T1-T6 I: Occipital bone between nuchal lines; spinous processes of vertebrae C2-C5 Inn:Posterior rami of cervical and thoracic nerves
Splenius Capitis and Splenius Cervicis
Extend head (group); rotate and bend head (individual) O: Spinous process of C7-T6 I: Temporal and occipital bones (capitis); C2-C4, transverse process (cervicis) Inn: posterior rami of middle cervical nerve