Muscle Detective: Supinator
The supinator (the muscle shown at the top of this picture) is a small, deep muscle in your forearm; it is located on the outer (lateral) side of the forearm near the elbow. In the forearm, supination is the action of turning the forearm into a position where your palm is facing upward or forward. The supinator muscle is well named because all it does is supinate. It’s easy to remember the action of the muscle because it puts your hand into a position to hold soup. (Not that I recommend holding soup in your hand!)
When performing bicep curls with dumbells you would call the supinator into play as you curl the weights toward your chest. See the position of the palms? They’re supinated. Using a (manual) screwdriver requires strength and stamina in the supinator. Turning some doorknobs require the use of the supinator.
Trigger points in the supinator can be dificult to distinguish from trigger points in other forearm muscles. Pain is felt near the lateral part of the elbow and at the base of the thumb. The thumb may also present with a vague numbness.
Tags: Muscle Detective, muscles, Pain Relief, Therapeutic Massage, Trigger Points