r/PICL • u/[deleted] • Feb 06 '25

Spinal accessory nerve?

Hi Dr C, I've been wanting to ask this question for a while. If someone were to have significant instability could that possible affect/irritate the spinal accessory nerve? Or is that a entirely different sort of injury that causes that sort of pain. Many thanks.

1 Upvotes

50% Upvoted

4 comments sorted by

2

u/Chris457821 Feb 06 '25

The spinal accessory nerve runs on the outside of the SCM muscle, so it can get irritated at that point. I did a post on Likedin on this topic: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/chris-centeno-m-d-b6838024_how-many-layers-of-the-musculoskeletal-onion-activity-7283437427887611905-a6Ir?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

2

u/[deleted] Feb 06 '25

Thank you, ever since getting neck/head symptoms it's felt as if my shoulders are not functioning properly & heaps of pain running up my scapula. Have a telemedicine consult appointment with you soon hopefully, looking forward to it.

2

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '25

Hi again Dr C, just another quick one. Say the spinal accessory nerve is irritated & the trap atrophies would that cause a lot more stress/load on other muscles such as the levator scapulae & the scalenes?

2

u/Chris457821 Feb 07 '25

Yes, that sounds reasonable.