Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
The greater occipital nerve is a nerve of the head. It is a spinal nerve , specifically the medial branch of the dorsal primary ramus of cervical spinal nerve 2 . It arises from between the first and second cervical vertebrae , ascends, and then passes through the semispinalis muscle .
While under the trapezius, the medial branch of the posterior division of the third cervical nerve gives off a branch called the third occipital nerve (also known as the least occipital nerve), which pierces the Trapezius and ends in the skin of the lower part of the back of the head.
Occipital neuralgia is caused by damage to the occipital nerves, which can arise from trauma (usually concussive or cervical), physical stress on the nerve, repetitive neck contraction, flexion or extension, and/or as a result of medical complications (such as osteochondroma, a benign bone tumour).
The lesser occipital nerve (or small occipital nerve [1]) is a cutaneous spinal nerve of the cervical plexus. [2] It arises from second cervical (spinal) nerve (C2) (along with the greater occipital nerve). It innervates the skin of the back of the upper neck and of the scalp posterior to the ear.
Occipital nerve may refer to: Greater occipital nerve; Lesser occipital nerve; Third occipital nerve This page was last edited on 29 December 2019, at 16:45 ...
The first 4 cervical spinal nerves, C1 through C4, split and recombine to produce a variety of nerves that serve the neck and back of head. Spinal nerve C1 is called the suboccipital nerve, which provides motor innervation to muscles at the base of the skull. C2 and C3 form many of the nerves of the neck, providing both sensory and motor control.
The posterior distribution includes the suboccipital nerve (C1), the greater occipital nerve (C2) and the third occipital nerve (C3). The anterior distribution includes the cervical plexus (C1–C4) and brachial plexus (C5–T1). The cervical nerves innervate the sternohyoid, sternothyroid and omohyoid muscles.
The occipitalis muscle (occipital belly) is a muscle which covers parts of the skull. Some sources consider the occipital muscle to be a distinct muscle. However, Terminologia Anatomica currently classifies it as part of the occipitofrontalis muscle along with the frontalis muscle. The occipitalis muscle is thin and quadrilateral in form.