Description
The erector spinae (sacrospinalis) muscles are the collective name for a group of muscles found in the intermediate layer of the intrinsic muscles of the back. Overall, the erector spinae muscles are involved in movements of the head, neck and trunk.
The erector spinae muscle consists of three individual, vertically oriented, muscles that lie parallel to the vertebral column. From medial to lateral, these muscles are the:
- spinalis;
- longissimus;
- iliocostalis.
This group of muscles is known as the “erector spinae” because they are responsible for straightening the vertebral column.
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Erector Spinae Muscle
The term lumbar extensor is used colloquially to refer to the erector spinae muscle group, which is comprised of the iliocostalis lumborum, longissimus thoracis, and spinalis thoracis.
