Dermatones and Nerve Pain
Understanding Dermatomes and how they affect you.
One of the more difficult things about spinal disorders is referred pain. You can have pain in your lower back that travels to your buttock, leg, or foot. Pain can feel sharp, burning, or electric while in some cases it will feel like a tingling, numbness, or weakness.
This type of pain is different from muscle or joint pain. It is nerve related.
To understand why this happens, it helps to understand something called dermatomes.
What is a Dermatome?
A dermatome describes a skin region supplied by one spinal nerve root, where any nerve that leaves the spinal column carries information to various parts of the body based upon a specific pattern or "map." Consequently, if a spinal nerve is impinged or otherwise becomes irritable, the symptoms the person experiences may be found in multiple locations regarding that nerve's corresponding peripheral distribution, as opposed to being located only in the area of the actual impingement. How do dermatomes relate to Bertolotti syndrome?
Bertolotti syndrome can affect the lower spine, notably at or around the level of vertebrae L4, L5, L6 and S1, all of which interface with the nerves that run into the leg. When an irritated disc or an inflamed nerve (i.e., sciatic nerve) results in pain (or other types of symptoms) along one of these dermatomal distributions, these dermatomes will be affected.
Typical Dermatomes of the Lumbar
Spine Knowledge about lumbar dermatomes is beneficial for determining and analysing your symptoms.
L4 Nerve Root
Low Back Pain
Front of the thigh pain
Pain within the area of the knee
L5 Nerve Root
Buttock Pain
Outer Thigh Pain
Pain down the lateral side of an individual’s leg
Pain symptoms extending to the top of the foot.
S1 Nerve Root
Buttock Pain
Pain down the posterior region of an individual’s leg
Calf Pain
Symptoms going down the side or bottom of the feet.
Why Does Pain Travel?
When a nervous system nerve gets irritated, the brain may not interpret the pain as coming from the spine but rather think of it as pain coming from an area of the body that the nerve provides for (this is not always the same as the nerve supplying the associated body parts).
Reasons:
A spinal issue can present itself as pain in the legs.
A disc issue may present itself as pain in the feet.
Types of Symptoms Related to Nerve Involvement; Dermatomal Involvement can produce:
Burning in the area
Sharp or electric sensations
Tingling “pins and needles” sensation
Numbness or lack of sensation
Weakness with some motions
When Symptoms do not Follow the Expected Patterns In reality, pain does not always follow a perfect pattern. With Bertolotti Syndrome, symptoms are commonly shared due to the following reasons:
There are many potential sources of pain; for example: - Inflammation - Muscles compensating for loss of range of motion in the spine. Dermatomes are a helpful way to understand where your pain may originate, but they are not an exact science.
Some signs you may have nerve involvement include:
Pain that radiates down your leg
Pain that is affected by your position
Pain that feels hot, sharp, or electric
Why should you care about understanding dermatomes? Because understanding where your pain is coming from helps you see the pattern of your symptoms instead of feeling that your pain is random. You will be able to better describe, comprehend, and deal with your pain because of this newly learn’t knowledge of patterns.
