Muscles
Suboccipital muscles
Four small muscles between the occiput and upper cervical spine; fine-tune head position and proprioception.
Overview
Four small muscles between the occiput and upper cervical spine; fine-tune head position and proprioception. Trigger points here are common in everyday and athletic populations and frequently contribute to the referred pain patterns described below.
Trigger point locations
Deep to the upper trapezius, just below the occiput.
Referred pain pattern
A 'headache inside the head' — diffuse pain through the skull behind the eye.
Palpation & testing
Palpate the muscle belly along its accessible course. Reproduction of the patient's familiar pain on palpation supports involvement.
Common causes
Forward head posture, sustained extension (looking up), screen overuse, whiplash.
Self-care & clinical treatment
Chin tucks, suboccipital release with a ball, eye-tracking exercises. Clinically: gentle manual release and needling.
Symptoms commonly linked
References
- • Travell & Simons — Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction