Explained and Located
For Our Own Knowledge
A dermatome is an area of skin supplied by a single spinal nerve. There are 31 pairs of spinal nerves, forming nerve roots that branch from your spinal cord, but only 30 dermatomes.
Your spinal nerves help to relay sensory, motor, and autonomic information between the rest of your body and your central nervous system (CNS).
So why are dermatomes important? How many are there? And where can they be found? Continue reading as we answer these questions about dermatomes and more.
Dermatomes in context
A single spinal nerve supplies sensation to certain areas of your skin, including each of your dermatomes.
Your spinal nerves
Spinal nerves are part of your peripheral nervous system (PNS). Your PNS works to connect the rest of your body with your CNS, which is made up of your brain and spinal cord.
You have 31 pairs of spinal nerves. They form nerve roots that branch from your spinal cord. Spinal nerves are named and grouped by the region of the spine that they’re associated with.
The five groups of spinal nerves are:
- Cervical nerves: There are eight pairs of these cervical nerves, numbered C1 through C8. They originate from your neck.
- Thoracic nerves: You have 12 pairs of thoracic nerves, numbered T1 through T12. They originate in the part of your spine that makes up your torso.
- Lumbar nerves: There are five pairs of lumbar spinal nerves, designated L1 through L5. They come from the part of your spine that makes up your lower back.
- Sacral nerves: Like the lumbar spinal nerves, you have five pairs of sacral spinal nerves. They’re associated with your sacrum, one of the bones in your pelvis.
- Coccygeal nerves: You have only a single pair of coccygeal spinal nerves, which originate from the area of your coccyx, or tailbone.
Your dermatomes
Each of your dermatomes is associated with a single spinal nerve. These nerves transmit sensations, such as pain, from a specific area of your skin to your CNS.
Your body has 30 dermatomes, one less than the number of spinal nerves. This is because the C1 spinal nerve typically doesn’t have a sensory root. As a result, dermatomes begin with spinal nerve C2.
Dermatomes have a segmented distributionTrusted Source throughout your body. The exact dermatome pattern can actually vary from person to person. Some overlap between neighboring dermatomes may also occur.
Because spinal nerves exit the spine laterally, dermatomes associated with the torso and core are distributed horizontally. When viewed on a body map, they appear like stacked discs.
The dermatome pattern in the limbs is slightly different. This is due to the shape of the limbs as compared with the rest of the body. In general, dermatomes associated with your limbs run vertically along the long axis of the limbs, such as down your leg.
Where is each dermatome located?
Your dermatomes are numbered based on which spinal nerve they correspond to. Below, we’ll outline each dermatomeTrusted Source and the area of the body that it’s associated with.
Remember that the exact area that a dermatome may cover can vary by individual. Some overlap is also possible. As such, consider the outline below to be a general guide.
Cervical spinal nerves
- C2: lower jaw, back of the head
- C3: upper neck, back of the head
- C4: lower neck, upper shoulders
- C5: area of the collarbones, upper shoulders, lateral forearm
- C6: shoulders, outside of arm, thumb
- C7: upper back, back of arm, pointer and middle finger
- C8: upper back, inside of arm, ring and little finger
Thoracic spinal nerves
- T1: upper chest and back, armpit, front of arm
- T2: upper chest and back
- T3: upper chest and back
- T4: upper chest (area of nipples) and back
- T5: mid-chest and back
- T6: mid-chest and back
- T7: mid-chest and back
- T8: upper abdomen and mid-back
- T9: upper abdomen and mid-back
- T10: abdomen (area of belly button) and mid-back
- T11: abdomen and mid-back
- T12: lower abdomen and mid-back
Lumbar spinal nerves
- L1: lower back, hips, groin
- L2: lower back, front and inside of thigh
- L3: lower back, front and inside of thigh
- L4: lower back, front of thigh and calf, area of knee, inside of ankle
- L5: lower back, front and outside of calf, top and bottom of foot, first four toes
Sacral spinal nerves
- S1: lower back, back of thigh, back and inside of calf, last toe
- S2: buttocks, genitals, back of thigh and calf
- S3: buttocks, genitals
- S4: buttocks
- S5: buttocks
Coccygeal spinal nerves
buttocks, area of tailbone
Dermatomes diagram
