What it means
Each spinal nerve carries both feeling (sensory) and movement (motor) signals and is named for the level where it leaves the spine: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral and coccygeal. The area of skin each one supplies is a dermatome. A pinched spinal nerve, as from a slipped disc, causes pain, numbness or weakness along its path.
At a glance
| Spanish | nervio espinal |
|---|---|
| Also written | spinal nerves |
Related terms
spinal cord
The long bundle of nerves that runs down through the backbone and carries messages between the brain and the body.
peripheral nervous system
All the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord, which link them to the rest of the body.
motor neuron
A nerve cell that carries signals from the brain or spinal cord out to a muscle to make it move.