Nerve Pain Anatomy in Vacaville

Our nervous system is responsible for constantly relaying vital messages to different parts of the body. Once this complex system gets damaged, the nerve signals can go awry and cause intense pain in Vacaville.

The main transportation hub of the central nervous system is the spinal cord wherein it helps in carrying the signals from the brain to the nerves throughout the body. The nerves that are spread out to different parts of the body enter and exit the spinal cord along its entire length.

The Spinal Cord and Peripheral Nerves in Vacaville

There are a total of 31 pairs of spinal nerves that exit the spinal cord openings between the vertebrae. The nerve root is place in the spinal cord where the nerve goes out. It then branches out into many small peripheral nerves that are controlling the different body parts.

When the central nervous system or peripheral nerves becomes damaged, then it can cause neuropathic pain.

The nerves exiting the lower back contain peripheral branches that reach all the way down to the toes. The peripheral nervous system is made up of peripheral nerves, wherein it includes both motor nerves and sensory nerves.

• Motor nerves - This leads to the muscles and it stimulates movement. They consist of nerve fibers known as motor fibers.
• Sensory nerves - These nerves receive sensory stimuli, which tell us how something feels. In short, it tells us if something is cold, hot, or painful. These nerves consist of nerve fibers, called sensory fibers. The sensory fibers are made up of:
  • Nociceptor Fibers: Senses tissue injury.
  • Mechanoreceptor Fibers: Senses body movement and pressure against the body.

When you have neuropathy, it can damage either the inner or outer part of the nerve cell. The inner information of the nerve cell is called the axon. The fatter outer sheath is known as the myelin and it protects the nerve cells and assists in transmitting information throughout the nervous system.

Peripheral neuropathy symptoms would show signs first on the longest nerves in the body, which can affect the feet then the hands. Over time, these symptoms may move up the arms and legs.

How nerves cause pain

Spinal structures and nerves are closely situated to each other, which can create potential irritation and pressure on the nerves. Several areas in the spine can cause back pain, such as when:

• Smaller nerves that are innervating the spine are irritated.
• Large nerve roots going to the arms and legs are irritated.

One common cause of nerve pain happens when a person is suffering from a lumbar herniated disc. This causes the discs between the vertebrae to herniate and it can press against a nearby spinal nerve root. When this gel-like material inside the disc starts to leak, it could aggravate a nerve.

After the nerves are damaged and neuropathy starts to develop, the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system will send out abnormal signals that could prevent the pain from easing.