These bridge the gap between the neck and chest, feeding into the Brachial Plexus to help control your hands and arms.
These are the "respiratory team." They innervate the chest wall and assist the muscles that expand your lungs for every breath. t spine nerves
If a thoracic nerve issue is suspected, clinicians use specific tools: These bridge the gap between the neck and
| Nerve Level | Primary Innervation (Area of Body) | Key Clinical Notes | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Medial arm, axilla (armpit) | Part of Brachial Plexus. Pain here often mimics C8 radiculopathy. | | T2 | Medial upper arm, chest wall | Often involved in "Intercostobrachial neuralgia" (pain shooting from chest to arm). | | T3 – T6 | Upper chest wall and upper back | Supplies ribs and intercostal muscles. Controls breathing mechanics. | | T7 – T11 | Lower chest and upper abdomen | Supplies the abdominal muscles (obliques/rectus abdominis). Important for trunk stability. | | T12 | Lower abdomen and groin | Known as the Subcostal Nerve . Pain can refer to the groin or hip, mimicking hip pathology. | Pain here often mimics C8 radiculopathy
Each thoracic nerve is a "mixed nerve," meaning it carries both (feeling) and motor (movement) fibers. These nerves emerge from the spinal cord through openings called intervertebral foramina, located below their corresponding vertebrae. Thoracic Spine: What It Is, Function & Anatomy
