Chapter 7: Moving and positioning
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Anatomy and physiology
The spinal cord extends from the base of the brain to the pelvis within the vertebral canal, protected by the surrounding vertebrae (Figure 7.28). The spinal cord is part of the central nervous system, which carries messages along the spinal tracts between the brain and the spinal nerves (Lundy‐Ekman [65]).
Figure 7.28 Spinal cord cross‐section. Source: Reproduced with permission of Pearson.
The spinal nerves branch out from the spinal cord at each vertebral level to communicate with specific areas of the body to control sensory, motor and autonomic functions (see the section ‘Moving and positioning a patient with neurological impairment’ above for further detail). Each spinal nerve innervates a specific group of muscles or an area of skin. A myotome is the group of muscles that a single spinal nerve innervates. A dermatome is an area of skin supplied by a single spinal nerve (Figure 7.29) (Lundy‐Ekman [65]).
Figure 7.29 Dermatomes and myotomes.
