The diagram below shows a detailed demonstration of the hand muscles:
The muscles of the hand provide you with the flexibility and strength to open and close the hand and fingers. It is important for a therapist to know and be able to identify some of the muscles as they are important when massaging the hand.
The muscles in the hand are:
- Abductors: the muscles that separate the fingers
- Adductors: muscles that draw the fingers together
- Opponent muscles: they allow the tip of the thumb to touch the tip of the other fingers
Similarly, the muscles that control the movements of the foot originate in the lower leg and are attached to the bones in the foot with tendons.
These are the main muscles that facilitate movement in the foot:
- Tibialis posterior: supports the foot’s arch
- Tibialis anterior: allows the foot to move upward
- Peroneus longus and brevis: muscle that controls movement on the outside of the ankle
- Extensors: muscles that raise the toes to make possible to take a step
- Flexors: muscles that stabilize the toes and curl them under
The diagram below shows the muscles present in foot that aid in movement:
