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Atlas · Shoulder

Teres Minor

Teres minor is a small posterior cuff muscle that assists external rotation. Posterior-shoulder pain with outward rotation or overhead use should be assessed for cuff weakness, joint restriction and axillary-nerve dysfunction.

Teres Minor
Body region
Shoulder
Trigger points
3
documented in this muscle
Common symptoms
3
patterns cataloged
Contributors
3
Factors to assess

Muscle overview

Symptoms and first steps

Practical first steps

  • Reduce fast or forceful throwing during a flare.
  • Keep comfortable outward rotation with the elbow supported.
  • Use arm support at night if helpful.

When to seek assessment

  • Arrange prompt examination for traumatic weakness or inability to raise the arm.
  • Persistent night pain, increasing movement loss or neurological symptoms warrant reassessment.

Teres minor sits below infraspinatus and above teres major. It belongs to the rotator cuff; teres major does not.

Examination, palpation and treatment evidence

Illustrated overview

Teres Minor

Blue highlights the muscle. Crosses mark representative trigger-point sites; shaded areas show possible referred pain. These examples do not correspond one-to-one with the numbered points below. Patterns vary and cannot diagnose the cause of pain.

Illustrated overview

Teres Minor · Anatomy 1

Anatomical view of the illustrated muscle.

Open full-size image

Trigger points

1. TrP1

Location. Upper lateral scapular-border teres-minor region below infraspinatus

Trigger point map
Teres Minor — Trigger point mapOpen full-size image

Shared muscle diagram; it may show several trigger points.

Referred pain map
Teres Minor — Referred pain mapOpen full-size image

Regional muscle reference; this is not an individual map of the selected numbered trigger point.

Pain referral. Back of shoulder, down arm

Pain Pattern

  • Back of shoulder
  • Deltoid area
  • Back of arm

What This Pain Feels Like

Posterior-shoulder aching may accompany outward rotation or throwing. Compare motion and strength; similarity to a cuff-tear pain pattern does not rule out a tear.

What Patients Report

  • Pain in back of shoulder
  • Weakness when rotating arm outward

What Makes It Worse

  • External rotation
  • Throwing
  • Overhead reaching
Browse related exercises (11)

Symptoms patients report

Pain turning the arm outward Record the arm position and resistance.

Posterior-shoulder discomfort during throwing Review the phase, speed and training volume.

Persistent external-rotation weakness Requires comparison with cuff and axillary-nerve function.

Contributors to assess

Increased throwing volume A workload change can reveal limited shoulder tolerance.

Cuff disease Several cuff muscles share rotation and stabilization tasks.

Dislocation or traction injury May affect the axillary nerve as well as soft tissue.

For clinicians and supervised training

Clinical reference

External-rotation pain does not isolate teres minor from infraspinatus, the joint or a nerve-related problem.

Anatomy and palpation

Anatomical relationships

Teres minor runs from the upper lateral scapular border to the inferior facet of the greater tuberosity. It is supplied by the axillary nerve.[1]

  • Lateral scapular border beneath infraspinatus.
  • Posterior humeral cuff insertion lies deep to deltoid.

Nearby structures. The quadrangular space lies inferior to teres minor and contains the axillary nerve and posterior circumflex humeral vessels; teres major is below.

Palpation

Patient position. Side-lying with the examined arm supported in front, shoulder relaxed.

Find the landmarks

  • Identify the lateral scapular border below the infraspinatus region.
  • Find the larger teres-major contribution to the posterior axillary fold inferiorly; teres minor lies above it.

Examination sequence

  1. Use gentle external-rotation effort to orient to the posterior cuff.
  2. Relax and apply light contact to the accessible teres-minor region.
  3. Record familiar local pain without probing the posterior axillary space.

Document the findings

  • Local tenderness may accompany cuff loading pain but does not establish isolated teres-minor dysfunction.

Limits and precautions

  • Stop for neural symptoms; do not compress the quadrangular-space region.
[1]

Examination and tests

2

Active versus supported passive shoulder motion[2]

Distinguish painful effort from a substantial restriction of joint movement.

Position
Seated for active elevation; supine with scapula and arm supported for passive testing.
Technique
Record active elevation and external rotation, then gently compare examiner-assisted motion in the same planes. Note familiar pain, range and whether the shoulder blade substitutes early.
Positive finding
Active limitation with better passive range differs from marked restriction of both.
Interpretation
A large active/passive gap with weakness warrants cuff or nerve assessment; global passive restriction suggests a joint/capsular pathway.
Limitations
Pain, guarding and measurement position influence motion. Neither pattern identifies an individual trigger point.

External-rotation strength at the side[3][2]

Measure familiar pain and force during a defined shoulder effort.

Position
Seated, elbow flexed to 90° and supported beside the trunk, forearm forward.
Technique
Apply light inward resistance as the patient attempts outward rotation without lifting the elbow. Record force and familiar pain separately.
Positive finding
Familiar pain, reduced force or inability to hold the position compared with the other arm.
Interpretation
Marked weakness prompts posterior cuff and axillary-nerve assessment. Infraspinatus also contributes; this does not isolate teres minor.
Limitations
Pain inhibition and neighboring muscles affect performance. These are cuff-function findings, not trigger-point confirmation.

Distinguishing other causes

Rotator-cuff tear[3][2]

Findings that matter. New loss of strength after trauma, a lag sign or inability to raise the arm despite better passive motion.

Next step. Arrange timely examination and imaging when it will change management.

Adhesive capsulitis or glenohumeral arthritis[2]

Findings that matter. Several passive directions are restricted, especially external rotation; the limitation exceeds one painful effort.

Next step. Assess the joint and select movement/loading accordingly.

Axillary nerve dysfunction or cervical nerve-root disorder[2]

Findings that matter. Weakness out of proportion to pain, visible muscle wasting, altered sensation or symptoms affected by neck movement.

Next step. Perform a neurological examination; consider electrodiagnostic or imaging assessment for a persistent objective deficit.

Treatment selection and progression

Self-care and activity

Adjust throwing and overhead volume[2]

Consider when. Load-related posterior-shoulder pain.

Temporarily reduce speed and repetitions, preserving comfortable lower-demand shoulder tasks.

Dose and review
Try the change during the provoking task and review its effect on pain and task tolerance before continuing.
Progression
Restore distance, then speed and volume one at a time.
Stop or reassess
Reduce the load for a lasting flare; new marked weakness, numbness or sharp injury pain requires reassessment.
Evidence and limits
The cited references support anatomical orientation or regional care. The activity and starting dose are clinical adaptations, with no isolated-muscle efficacy established by those references.

Exercise and rehabilitation

Supported external-rotation loading[1][2]

Consider when. Preserved rotation with tolerable pain.

Keep the elbow beside the trunk and rotate the forearm outward against a light band, returning slowly.

Dose and review
Starting example: one set of 5–8 comfortable repetitions on alternate days; adjust to irritability and the next-day response.
Progression
Increase range and repetitions before resistance or elevated-arm work.
Stop or reassess
Reduce the load for a lasting flare; new marked weakness, numbness or sharp injury pain requires reassessment.
Evidence and limits
The cited references support anatomical orientation or regional care. The activity and starting dose are clinical adaptations, with no isolated-muscle efficacy established by those references.

Clinician-delivered care

Clinician-led cuff and nerve assessment with rehabilitation[2]

Consider when. Persistent weakness, throwing limitation or symptoms after dislocation.

Compare external rotation at tolerated positions, deltoid function and sensation, then prescribe loading for the identified deficit.

Dose and review
Try the change during the provoking task and review its effect on pain and task tolerance before continuing.
Progression
Track external-rotation force and return-to-throwing tolerance; investigate objective deficits that persist.
Stop or reassess
Reduce the load for a lasting flare; new marked weakness, numbness or sharp injury pain requires reassessment.
Evidence and limits
The cited references support anatomical orientation or regional care. The activity and starting dose are clinical adaptations, with no isolated-muscle efficacy established by those references.

Reassessment and follow-up

  • Repeat outward-rotation force in the same arm position.
  • Compare throwing tolerance and any sensory change.
  • Check active outward rotation at the same supported raised-arm angle before advancing overhead work; record any new inability to hold that position.

Evidence and sources

  1. University of Washington Muscle Atlas: Teres Minor

    2026 · University anatomical reference

    Accessed September 2026; access year. Used for attachments and actions, not treatment efficacy or point-map validation.

  2. Desmeules et al. Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy Diagnosis, Nonsurgical Medical Care, and Rehabilitation

    2025 · Clinical practice guideline

    Adults with cuff tendinopathy, including partial-thickness tears; not full-thickness tears. Recommends active rehabilitation, distinguishes calcific from noncalcific shockwave indications.

  3. Jain et al. The Diagnostic Accuracy of Special Tests for Rotator Cuff Tear: The ROW Cohort Study

    2017 · Prospective diagnostic cohort

    208 participants; strength/lag tests inform tear assessment, not muscle trigger-point diagnosis. Negative subscapularis tests can miss tears.

Associated Trigger Points