03/11/2025
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SUBOCCIPITAL MUSCLES & OAA-COMPLEX
There are 4 muscles involved in the suboccipital region also called ‚Upper Cervical Spine‘ or OAA-Complex:
1️⃣Rectus capitis posterior major (axis to head)
2️⃣Rectus capitis posterior minor (atlas to occiput)
3️⃣Obliquus capitis superior (atlas to head)
4️⃣Obliquus capitis inferior (axis to atlas)
These muscles are deeper than all other muscles in the back of the neck and they are very strongly connected to our eyes to give the feedback to the larger neck muscles as to where the head is positioned!
The purpose of these muscles is to provide fine motor function in movements of the head. Beyond their ability to concentrically contract and move their attachments, isometrically contract and stabilize their attachments, they have a heavy concentration of proprioceptors, and are therefore important toward balance and equilibrium of the head. The actions of trapezius, sternocleidomastoid and other larger muscles that move the head are refined by the relatively small suboccipital muscles.
As the neck starts to flex in the lower cervical, our eyes always want to look forward, the head and upper cervical spine starts to extend, the suboccipitals shorten and hold the back of the skull to the top two vertebrae (Atlas and Axis) and lock it in place. These muscles are also a common area to develop trigger points that can cause terrible headaches.
Approximately 50% of the neck rotation should come from the first two vertebrae. The rest of the cervical spine splits the other 50%, gradually rotating less and less as you progress from C3 to C7.
The suboccipital area is very prone to get stiff and immobile, when the upper cervical spine can’t rotate properly, that motion get picked up by the lower cervical spine, which we want to be actually more stable!
Releasing some of this tissue can directly affect and relieve your headaches or neck pain without the use of any medicine!
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