Muscles
Teres Major Trigger Points
Symptom Area: Upper Back, Shoulder and Arm
Teres Major 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. Adducts and internally rotates the shoulder; co-active with latissimus.
Where you feel it
When the Teres Major holds active trigger points, you usually notice it as back of arm pain. Where the pain spreads: Posterior deltoid and down the back of the arm — often confused with rotator cuff pain. What often sets it off: Overhead work, throwing, frozen shoulder pattern.
Overview
Adducts and internally rotates the shoulder; co-active with latissimus. Trigger points here are common in everyday and athletic populations and frequently contribute to the referred pain patterns described below.
Trigger point locations
Posterior axillary fold next to latissimus.
Referred pain pattern
Posterior deltoid and down the back of the arm — often confused with rotator cuff pain.
Palpation & testing
Palpate the muscle belly along its accessible course. Reproduction of the patient's familiar pain on palpation supports involvement.
Common causes
Overhead work, throwing, frozen shoulder pattern.
Self-care & clinical treatment
Cross-body stretch, axillary self-release. Clinically: needling, scapular control.
Treatment protocol
For Teres Major, 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 upper back and shoulder girdle the pleura lies immediately deep to thin muscle, so pneumothorax is the key risk; needling is performed tangentially or against a bony backstop (rib, scapula), never perpendicular to an intercostal space.
Primary Symptoms
Secondary Symptoms
Often confused with
These muscles cause the same primary symptoms, so they are checked together:
Related muscles in this region
References
- • Travell & Simons — Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction
Medically reviewed by: Marco Aruffo — physiotherapist since 2006, specialised in myofascial pain · Last reviewed:
