Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsLocationsFunctionInjuriesDiagnosisTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Locations
Function
Injuries
Diagnosis
Treatment
A plexus is a bundle of intersectingnerves. The term is also used to describe similar groups of blood vessels orlymphatic vesselsin the body.
Nerve plexuses originate from the same anatomical area and serve specific areas of the body. They also send messages from the brain to the muscles, allowing for movement to occur.
This article specifically focuses on the locations of plexus nerves and their specific functions. It also explores the diagnosis and treatment of plexus injuries.
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Nerve Plexus Locations
Nerve bundles forming a plexus are also located throughout your body.
There are two major groups of nerve plexuses: thespinal plexusand theautonomic plexus.
There are five distinct plexuses in each. They are named based on the location or function of the plexus.
Spinal Plexus
Five plexuses originate from the spinal cord in your body. These include the cervical, brachial, lumbar, sacral, and coccygeal plexuses.
Cervical plexus:Thecervical plexusoriginates from the first four vertebrae at the top of the spinal cord (cervical levels one through four).
It supplies nerves for the back of your head and the upper cervical muscles.
Brachial plexus:Thebrachial plexusoriginates from cervical levels five through eight and thoracic level one.
This plexus of nerves serves your chest, shoulder, and arms. Themedian,ulnar, andradial nerves—the three major nerves of your arm—originate from the brachial plexus.
Lumbar plexus:Thelumbar plexusoriginates from lumbar levels one through four and serves muscles and skin in your hip and thigh.
Two major nerves originate via the lumbar plexus—thefemoral nerveand theobturator nerve. These allow for motor information to your hip and thigh muscles, and communicate sensory information from your thighs and hips to your brain.
Branches of the lumbar plexus also serve areas of your pelvic girdle and genital area.
Sacral plexus:Thesacral plexusoriginates from lumbar level four through sacral level four.
Yoursciatic nervecomes from this plexus and serves the muscles and skin of the back of your thighs, lower legs, and feet.
Other nerves that originate from the sacral plexus run to yourglutealand piriformis muscles of your hips.
Coccygeal plexus:This plexus serves a small area near your tailbone.
Autonomic Plexus
The five autonomic plexuses include the celiac, Auerbach’s, pharyngeal, cardiac, and Meissner’s plexuses:
Celiac plexus (also known as thesolar plexus):This plexus sits behind your stomach and serves organs of your abdomen.
Auerbach’s plexus:This plexus serves your gut and functions as part of your digestive system.
Pharyngeal plexus:The pharyngeal plexus originates from cranial nerves 9 through 11 and serves muscles and skin of the front of your neck. This plexus of nerves aids in the swallowing mechanism.
Cardiac plexus:The cardiac plexus provides nerves to your heart muscle.
Meissner’s plexus:This plexus of nerves serves your intestinal wall and works with Auberbach’s plexus to aid with digestion.
Function of a Plexus of Nerves
A plexus of nerves can be thought of as an electrical junction box. Various nerves come together, are sorted, and then travel on to their respective muscles or anatomical structures to communicate signals to and from your brain.
This has a protective effect in that if one nerve is injured, other nerves in the same plexus may be able to essentially “step up” and prevent a more severe injury.
Plexus Injury Examples
Any plexus can be injured, but we will focus on the brachial plexus as an example here.
The brachial plexus of the arm is the one that is most commonly injured.This may occur due to tension and overstretching, compression, or tearing of the nerves in the plexus.
An injury to the brachial plexus nerves may cause:
Most brachial plexus injuries occur when the arm is forcefully pulled or stretched. Falls, motor vehicle crashes, and knife and gunshot wounds can injury the brachial plexus.
One example of a brachial plexus injury is a “stinger.” Symptoms include mild tingling and burning pain in your neck, shoulder, and arm. Usually these last for a few seconds and then quickly subside.
Injuries to other types of plexuses will result in symptoms and require treatments that are specific to the areas their respective nerves serve.
Diagnosing a Nerve Plexus Injury
During an EMG test, small needles are placed along your arm. Then, tiny electrical signals are passed between the needles. The speed at which those signals travel the nerves is measured and compared to accepted normal values.
A slowing of the electrical signal indicates that a specific nerve is damaged. Once that nerve is identified, the appropriate treatment can be determined.
Sometimes other diagnostic tests, like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computerized tomography (CT scan), are performed to look for damage to a nerve plexus.
Nerve Plexus Treatment
A minor injury to a plexus may not require treatment at all. Symptoms tend to be mild and temporary, and usually go away within weeks or months.
Some plexus injuries may require more intensive treatments. Treatment for a ruptured nerve may involve surgery to repair the damage. Surgery may involve:
These surgeries are considered most effective when performed within six months of the injury, so time is of the essence.Waiting too long to have surgery can cause the muscles in the neck, arm, and shoulder to permanently shrink (atrophy).
After a nerve plexus injury, you may benefit from working with aphysical therapistoroccupational therapist. They can assess your condition and prescribe specific treatments to maintain muscle function and jointrange of motion.
Summary
Your body consists of a complex series of muscles, bones, tendons, and nerves. When nerves exit your spinal canal, they are sorted and organized in a plexus. This plexus serves to keep nerve signals organized and to create a system where your nerves are protected from injury.
A plexus injury may cause numbness, tingling, or loss of movement. Severe plexus injuries may require the care of a qualified healthcare provider to help you fully recover.
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Oregon State University. Anatomy and Physiology.Spinal and cranial nerves.
Gutierrez S, Iwanaga J, Pekala P, et al.The pharyngeal plexus: an anatomical review for better understanding postoperative dysphagia.Neurosurg Rev. 2021 Apr;44(2):763-772. doi: 10.1007/s10143-020-01303-5
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Brachial plexus injuries.
Sola R, Christmas AB, Thomas BW, et al.Do not waste your time: straight to magnetic resonance imaging for pediatric burners and stingers.Am J Emerg Med. 2016;34(8):1442-5.
American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Brachial plexus injuries.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Brachial plexus surgery.
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