The Cervical Plexus

David Rosenblum, MD Garden City and Brooklyn Pain Physician, world renown for his work on the PainExam Podcast, PainExam Pain Management Board Review and NRAP Academy's Continuing Medical Education Programs, discusses: a case of paresthesia in the upper neck realted to C3 and C4 stenosis and considers a selective nerve root block while wondering if a deep cervical plexus block would suffice.

Rational :

• Desire to avoid epidural due to proximity to spinal cord
• Ultrasound approach of cervial plexus may anesthetize C3 and C4 roots and may be sufficient to do with ultrasound alone
• Unfortunately, no data found to support this particular situation, however, it may be safe and effective if performed properly.

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Also discussed on this podcast:

The Superficial Cervical Plexus and applications for headache, neck pain, and clavicular fractures.

Caution: Phrenic Nerve

Anatomy

The cervical plexus is a complex network of nerves located in the neck region, originating from the anterior rami (branches) of the cervical spinal nerves, specifically those stemming from the upper cervical segments (C1 to C4). This intricate network serves to provide sensory and motor innervation to various structures within the neck and surrounding areas.

The cervical plexus is positioned within a groove between the longus capitis and the middle scalene muscles in the neck. It is organized into different nerve loops and branches that radiate outwards to supply various regions. The cervical plexus can be divided into deep and superficial components, each with distinct functions and innervation patterns.

Cervical Plexus: The plexus involves nerve loops and branches that provide both sensory and motor functions. The superficial sensory branches originating from adjacent anterior spinal nerves (C2 to C4) are responsible for providing sensation to specific areas of the skin, particularly in the head, neck, and shoulder regions. These sensory branches include the lesser occipital nerve (C2, C3), great auricular nerve (C2, C3), transverse cervical nerve (C2, C3), and supraclavicular nerves (C3, C4). These nerves typically run posteriorly and then penetrate the prevertebral fascia before reaching the skin and superficial structures.

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Refereces

Kim JS, Ko JS, Bang S, Kim H, Lee SY. Cervical plexus block. Korean J Anesthesiol. 2018 Aug;71(4):274-288. doi: 10.4097/kja.d.18.00143. Epub 2018 Jul 4. PMID: 29969890; PMCID: PMC6078883. Read more!