Muscles of the vertebral column are also muscles located in the axial skeleton, and these can be further subdivided into muscles of respiration. The muscles of respiration include the diaphragm, internal intercostals, the external intercostals, the serratus posterior superior, the serratus posterior inferior, the pectoralis minor, the scalenus anterior, the scalenus medius, the scalenus posterior, and the sternocleidomastoid.

The diaphragm is one of these muscles of respiration, and it comes from the Greek root "diaphragma" meaning "a partition". The origin for this muscle is in the six lower costal cartilages and the xiphoid process. The insertion, on the other hand, is in the central tendon of the cloverleaf-shaped aponeurosis. The diaphragm functions by widening the thoracic cavity during respiration. The nerve for this muscle is the phrenic nerve. The thoracic is separated from the abdominal cavity because of the diaphragm, and it is the prime mover of inspiration.

Originating from the Latin roots "internus" meaning "within" and "costae" meaning "rib", the internal intercostal is another muscle of respiration. Its origin is found in the superior border of the rib below, while the insertion is located at the inferior border of the rib above. This muscle serves to depress the rib cage while the individual is exhaling, as well as to keep the intercostal spaces in good condition. The nerves for this muscle are the intercostal nerves. The internal obliques have muscle fibers that are going in the same direction as those of the internal intercostals.