4/18/17

Intercostals, Muscles of the Ribs

Several muscles attach to, or interdigitate with the ribs: pectoralis major and minor, the scalenes, serratus anterior, serratus posterior superior and inferior to name a few. Since they attach to the ribs, they play a role in breathing. If you have had a cold or some other respiratory challenge, these muscles may be sore.

But the muscles that do the bulk of work during breathing are the intercostals. The internal and external intercostals are the soft tissues in the spaces between the ribs; they join the ribs together.

The external intercostals attach to the inferior border of one rib and travel inferoanteriorly to the superior border of the rib below. The external intercostals assist with inhalation by drawing the ribs upward.

The internal intercostals also join the ribs. They travel inferoposteriorly from one rib to the next one below. The internal intercostals assist with exhalation by drawing the ribs downward.

The intercostals are palpable in the spaces between the ribs and can be quite tender to the touch when you’ve had a cold or if you’ve strained one of these muscles.

If you have had a cold, or your chest and upper body are feeling tight and compressed, let your massage therapist know that you’d like a little extra work on the intercostals. Your therapist can massage these thin grooves or spaces between the ribs quite effectively to give you relief. This in turn can make it feel easier to breathe deeply, think clearly, and get you back to your active routine.