There are eight pairs of cervical nerves (C1-C8) in the cervical spine (neck). These nerves branch from the spinal cord and innervate the neck, shoulders, arms, and hands.
The Cervical Nerves: A Closer Look
The cervical spine, also known as the neck, contains seven vertebrae but eight pairs of spinal nerves. This is because the first nerve pair (C1) emerges above the first vertebra, while the remaining pairs emerge below their corresponding vertebrae. Each pair branches out to supply different parts of the upper body.
- C1-C8: These nerves control various functions including movement, sensation, and reflexes in the head, neck, shoulders, and upper limbs.
References Supporting the Existence of Eight Cervical Nerve Pairs:
Multiple sources confirm this:
- StatPearls: "More specifically, there are eight cervical nerve pairs (C1-C8), twelve thoracic nerve pairs (T1-T12), five lumbar nerve pairs (L1-L5), 5 sacral (S1-S5), and a single coccygeal nerve pair." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK542218/
- Cleveland Clinic: "Eight pairs of spinal nerves exit through small openings (foramen) between every pair of vertebrae in your..." https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22278-cervical-spine
- Spine-health: "In the cervical spine, there are eight pairs of spinal nerves labeled C1 to C8, which innervate the neck, shoulder, arm, hand, and more." https://www.spine-health.com/conditions/spine-anatomy/cervical-spinal-nerves
- Kenhub: "Cervical, 8." https://www.kenhub.com/en/library/anatomy/spinal-nerves
- AANS: "Eight pairs of cervical nerves exit the cervical cord at each vertebral level." https://www.aans.org/patients/conditions-treatments/anatomy-of-the-spine-and-peripheral-nervous-system/
