Muscles
Serratus Posterior Inferior Trigger Points
Symptom Area: Torso
Serratus Posterior Inferior Trigger Points are explored here through their location and referred pain pattern. Muscle knots is an everyday term used for tender muscular spots; myofascial pain describes pain involving muscle and its surrounding connective tissue. Depresses the lower ribs during expiration.
Where you feel it
When the Serratus Posterior Inferior holds active trigger points, you usually notice it as thoracic back pain. Where the pain spreads: Local ache over the lower ribs, sometimes confused with kidney pain. What often sets it off: Chronic cough, asymmetric loading, repeated rotation.
Overview
Depresses the lower ribs during expiration. Trigger points here are common in everyday and athletic populations and frequently contribute to the referred pain patterns described below.
Trigger point locations
Lower thoracic region over the lower ribs.
Referred pain pattern
Local ache over the lower ribs, sometimes confused with kidney pain.
Palpation & testing
Palpate the muscle belly along its accessible course. Reproduction of the patient's familiar pain on palpation supports involvement.
Common causes
Chronic cough, asymmetric loading, repeated rotation.
Self-care & clinical treatment
Breathing retraining, address load. Clinically: manual release and needling.
Treatment protocol
For Serratus Posterior Inferior, the general protocol applies: sustained pressure release on the taut band, then stretch and active movement in the newly gained range.
Position and palpation: Palpate the muscle belly along its accessible course.
Regional precaution for clinicians: Over the rib cage the only safe needling direction is tangential or onto a rib; perpendicular needling of an intercostal space risks pneumothorax.
Primary Symptoms
Often confused with
These muscles cause the same primary symptoms, so they are checked together:
Related muscles in this region
Related articles
References
- • Travell & Simons — Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction
Medically reviewed by: Marco Aruffo — physiotherapist since 2006, specialised in myofascial pain · Last reviewed:
