Together with the bones, the muscles are the backbone of the body. In our body, they are present everywhere, even on the head. What muscles exist? What is the main function of facial muscles? Learn more about this later.
Human Muscles
Depending on the method of determination in the human body, there are from 640 to 850 muscles. With their help, we carry out most of the actions: we speak, breathe, walk, blink, etc. Muscles form the body and attach to the bones on both sides.
They are made of elastic fabric that can stretch and contract. Their movement provides a connection with the nerve endings and is carried out with the help of nerve impulses. Muscle work accompanies all physiological processes in the body.
In the body they make up three large groups: skeletal, smooth and cardiac muscle. A person controls only skeletal muscles and can contract them voluntarily. The remaining two groups are controlled by the autonomic nervous system, have a certain rhythm and do not depend on our consciousness.
The main feature of muscles is the ability to fatigue. This happens due to a long and heavy load. However, if you do not usemuscles and do not train them, on the contrary, they become decrepit, weaken and perform their functions poorly.
Types of facial muscles
There are 57 muscles on the face. They are divided into chewing and mimic. Chewing are attached to the lower jaw and are responsible not only for chewing, but also for swallowing and speech. The group includes four muscles:
- chewing,
- temporal,
- lateral,
- medial pterygoid.
Mimic muscles of a person are somewhat different from the rest. They are thin and arranged in tufts near the eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. They are attached to the skull bone only on one side. The other side is connected to the skin tissues. This allows you to give greater mobility to areas of the face. Some of them do not come from the bone, but from the ligaments.
Most of the muscles of the face are paired, with the exception of the supracranial, nasal and circular muscles of the mouth. They are located at different levels and, depending on this, are divided into deep, superficial and medium. Deep, for example, include the mental, buccal, middle - the square muscle of the lower lip and canine, superficial are the circular muscles of the mouth, zygomatic, square, etc.
What is the function of facial muscles?
Facial muscles play an important role in human social life. Their contractions form certain facial expressions by changing the depth of skin folds. So, others can distinguish and understand our emotions when communicating. With their help, we express sadness, joy, hatred, smile and laugh.
The main function of facial muscles is associated with the opening, narrowing and closing of natural openings on the face. Depending on these actions, they are divided into constrictor and expander muscles. The former are placed above the body parts in a circle, the latter depart radially from them.
Some muscles and their functions are shown in the table.
| Region | Muscle | Function |
|
Forehead and eyebrows, nose |
||
| Muscle of the Proud | Forms wrinkles over the bridge of the nose | |
| Eyebrow wrinkler | Pull eyebrows together | |
| Nasal muscle | Opens the wings of the nose | |
| Supracranial | Raises eyebrows, forms horizontal wrinkles on the forehead | |
| Mouth area | Circular muscle of the mouth | Closes mouth, pulls lips forward |
| Muscle of the lower lip | Opens, pulls back the lower lip | |
| Muscle of the upper lip | Lifts the upper lip | |
| Chygomatics | Pull the corners of the mouth up and to the sides | |
| Eye area | Circular muscle of the eye | Squints, closes eyes |
| Ear area | Front | Pulls the auricle forward |
| Top | Pulls the shell up | |
| Back | Pulls the shell back |
Disorders of the muscles of the face
Disturbances in the work of muscles are manifested in the loss of their tone and ability to contract. Pathologies occur for various reasons, for example, due to trauma, infection, disruption of humoral regulation and the functioning of the nervous system, cellular changes.
Stretching, tearing, as well as various diseases, sometimes not directly related to their activity, can affect the work of muscles: heart attack, stroke, paralysis of facial muscles. The pathological condition is congenital, due to genetic abnormalities or mechanical damage during gestation.
It happens that the function of facial muscles is temporarily disturbed. So, a nervous tic can have a temporary form. It can happen even in a he althy body. After a strong emotional load or a strong overstrain, individual muscles begin to contract quickly and spontaneously. At least once in a lifetime, a nervous tic occurs in every person.
Muscle paralysis
One of the most unpleasant diseases is paralysis of facial muscles, which is associated with damage to the facial nerve. The cause of its occurrence are injuries, tumors, inflammation. Paralysis also manifests itself in congenital pathologiesor nerve damage during surgery.
During this disease, the face becomes asymmetrical, warps to the he althy side (in case of unilateral paralysis). The function of facial muscles is impaired, they lose their tone and the ability to fully close their jaws and eyes.
The disease is accompanied by pain in the ear, face, neck. There is increased sensitivity to sounds and tearing. The eye on the injured side rises above the he althy side and is more open.
Gymnastics of facial muscles
The muscles of the face can be shaped and trained like any other. Daily gymnastics can improve blood circulation in them, increase their tone and elasticity. It is used to prevent wrinkles, skin aging, helps to restore muscles in pathologies.
There are hundreds of exercises for the face, aimed at different parts of it. One of them is called "Surprise". It consists in opening the eyes wide and looking at one point, while wrinkling and straining the forehead is not worth it.
Cheeks and orbicularis muscle are trained in a wide smile with a closed mouth. The lips are stretched as wide as possible, then relaxed. Repeat the exercise about 25 times. Cheeks are also a great exercise if you puff them up with air in your mouth.
