3.4 Muscles and Joints of the Head, Face, Arms, Hands, Legs and Feet
Key Takeaways
- The origin of a muscle is its fixed attachment and the insertion is its movable attachment; massage is directed from insertion toward origin so the muscle is not dragged away from its anchor.
- The epicranius consists of the frontalis and the occipitalis joined by the epicranial aponeurosis, and it raises the eyebrows and draws the scalp backward.
- Orbicularis oculi closes the eyelid, orbicularis oris puckers the lips, buccinator compresses the cheek, and mentalis wrinkles the chin.
- The radius sits on the thumb side of the forearm and the ulna on the little-finger side; each hand contains 8 carpals, 5 metacarpals and 14 phalanges.
- The tibia is the larger inner leg bone and the fibula the smaller outer one; the calcaneus is the heel bone and each foot has 7 tarsals, 5 metatarsals and 14 phalanges.
3.4 Muscles and Joints of the Head, Face, Arms, Hands, Legs and Feet
Myology is the study of muscles; osteology is the study of bones. The NIC theory outline lists "identify muscles and joints and their functions" for three regions — head and face, arms and hands, legs and feet — because cosmetologists massage all three. Virginia allocates 40 curriculum hours to applied sciences covering anatomy, physiology and histology.
Origin, insertion, belly — and why massage has a direction
Every skeletal muscle has three parts:
| Part | Definition |
|---|---|
| Origin | The fixed attachment, to a more stationary bone or tissue |
| Insertion | The movable attachment, on the part that actually moves |
| Belly | The thick middle portion between them |
The rule: massage manipulations are generally directed from the insertion toward the origin. Working the other way drags the movable end away from its anchor, which over repeated sessions stretches tissue and weakens muscle tone. The exception every cosmetologist should know is limb massage for circulation, where strokes travel toward the heart to assist venous return.
Muscle tissue is stimulated three ways: massage and manual manipulation, electrical current, and heat, light and moist heat. Chemicals such as certain toners and masks also have a mild effect.
Muscles of the scalp, face and neck
Scalp
- Epicranius (occipitofrontalis) — the broad muscle covering the top of the skull. It has two parts joined by the epicranial aponeurosis (a tendon):
- Frontalis — the front portion; raises the eyebrows and wrinkles the forehead horizontally.
- Occipitalis — the back portion; draws the scalp backward.
Ear — auricularis superior, anterior and posterior, which move the ear slightly.
Eyebrow and eye
- Orbicularis oculi — ring muscle around the eye socket; closes the eyelid.
- Corrugator — beneath the frontalis; draws the eyebrow down and inward, producing vertical frown lines.
- Levator palpebrae superioris — raises the upper eyelid.
Nose — procerus, which covers the bridge of the nose, lowers the eyebrows and causes horizontal wrinkles across the bridge; the nasalis compresses and dilates the nostril.
Mouth
| Muscle | Function |
|---|---|
| Orbicularis oris | Ring muscle around the mouth; puckers and contracts the lips |
| Buccinator | Between the upper and lower jaw; compresses the cheek and expels air |
| Risorius | Draws the corner of the mouth out and back, as in grinning |
| Zygomaticus major and minor | Elevate the lip, as in laughing |
| Levator anguli oris (caninus) | Raises the angle of the mouth |
| Levator labii superioris (quadratus labii superioris) | Elevates the upper lip; expresses distaste |
| Depressor labii inferioris (quadratus labii inferioris) | Pulls the lower lip down and to the side |
| Mentalis | Elevates the lower lip and wrinkles the chin, as in doubt |
| Triangularis (depressor anguli oris) | Pulls the corner of the mouth down, as in sadness |
Mastication (chewing) — masseter and temporalis, which open and close the jaw. Clients who clench show hypertrophy here, and both are common tension points in a facial massage.
Neck and shoulder
- Platysma — broad sheet from the chest and shoulder to the side of the chin; draws the corner of the mouth down.
- Sternocleidomastoid — from the sternum and clavicle to the mastoid process; bends the head to the side and rotates it. This is the muscle you work around during a shampoo neck rest.
- Trapezius — covers the back of the neck and upper back; draws the head back and to the side, and shrugs the shoulders.
- Latissimus dorsi — broad muscle of the lower back; controls shoulder and arm movement and assists breathing.
Bones, muscles and joints of the arm and hand
Bones
| Bone | Detail |
|---|---|
| Humerus | Upper arm — the largest bone of the upper limb |
| Ulna | Forearm bone on the little-finger side |
| Radius | Forearm bone on the thumb side |
| Carpals | 8 wrist bones in two rows of four, held by ligaments |
| Metacarpals | 5 bones of the palm |
| Phalanges (digits) | 14 per hand — three per finger, two in the thumb |
Muscles
- Deltoid — triangular shoulder muscle; lifts and rotates the arm.
- Biceps — front of the upper arm, two heads; flexes the forearm and lifts the shoulder.
- Triceps — back of the upper arm; extends the forearm.
- Pronator — turns the palm downward; supinator — turns the palm upward.
- Flexors — bend the wrist, draw the hand up and close the fingers; extensors — straighten the wrist, hand and fingers.
- Abductors — spread the fingers apart; adductors — draw the fingers together. Both sit at the base of the thumb and fingers and are worked directly in a manicure massage.
Joints of the upper limb
| Joint | Type | Movement |
|---|---|---|
| Shoulder | Ball-and-socket | Movement in all planes |
| Elbow | Hinge | Flexion and extension only |
| Radioulnar | Pivot | Pronation and supination |
| Wrist (radiocarpal) | Condyloid | Flexion, extension, side-to-side |
| Intercarpal | Gliding | Small sliding movement |
| Thumb carpometacarpal | Saddle | Opposition — why the thumb can meet each finger |
Bones, muscles and joints of the leg and foot
Bones
| Bone | Detail |
|---|---|
| Femur | Thigh — the longest and strongest bone in the body |
| Patella | Kneecap |
| Tibia | Larger, inner lower leg bone (shin) |
| Fibula | Smaller, outer lower leg bone |
| Talus (ankle bone) | Forms the ankle joint with the tibia and fibula |
| Calcaneus | Heel bone — the largest tarsal |
| Tarsals | 7 ankle bones, including the talus and calcaneus |
| Metatarsals | 5 long bones of the foot |
| Phalanges | 14 per foot — three per toe, two in the great toe |
Muscles
- Gastrocnemius — the large calf muscle; flexes the foot downward (plantarflexion) and lifts the heel.
- Soleus — beneath the gastrocnemius; also bends the foot down.
- Tibialis anterior — front of the shin; dorsiflexes and inverts the foot.
- Peroneus longus and brevis — outer lower leg; evert the foot and turn it outward.
- Extensor digitorum longus — bends the foot up and extends the toes.
- Flexor digitorum brevis — sole of the foot; flexes the toes and assists balance.
- Abductor hallucis — moves the great toe away from the others.
Joints of the lower limb: the hip is a ball-and-socket; the knee is a hinge; the ankle is a hinge formed by the tibia, fibula and talus; the intertarsal joints are gliding; the toe joints are hinge.
Why this matters at the chair
- Facial massage follows insertion toward origin and lingers on the masseter and temporalis, where jaw tension concentrates.
- Shampoo service: the occipitalis and trapezius are the two structures that relax when a shampoo massage is done well, and a poorly positioned neck rest strains the sternocleidomastoid.
- Manicure massage works the flexors, extensors, abductors and adductors of the hand, plus the intercarpal gliding joints, with effleurage toward the heart.
- Pedicure massage works the gastrocnemius, soleus and tibialis anterior, again with strokes directed toward the heart.
- Do not perform deep manipulation over a joint with acute inflammation, over varicose veins, or on a client with a history of deep vein thrombosis, uncontrolled hypertension, or advanced diabetes with neuropathy.
Which statement correctly describes muscle attachments and the direction of facial massage?
A client asks about the vertical lines between her eyebrows. Which muscle produces them?
Which set of bone facts is correct?