There are 31 segments of the spinal cord grouped into regions:1,3,4
- 8 cervical (C1–C8): head, neck, arms, hands, and diaphragm
- 12 thoracic (T1–T12): chest and upper abdominal muscles
- 5 lumbar (L1–L5): lower back, hips, thighs, and knees
- 5 sacral (S1–S5): pelvic organs, legs and feet
- Below the sacral area there is the coccyx that is innervated by the single coccygeal nerve
References:
1. Harrow-Mortelliti M, Reddy V, Jimsheleishvili G. Physiology, spinal cord. [Updated 2023 Mar]. In: StatPearls [internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK544267.
2. Henley C. Somatosensory systems. In: Foundations of Neuroscience. Available at: https://openbooks.lib.msu.edu/neuroscience/chapter/somatosensory-systems/. Accessed December 2025.
3. Ernstmeyer K, Christmas E (eds). Section 16.4 Anatomy of the nervous system. In: Medical Terminology. Available at: https://wtcs.pressbooks.pub/medterm/chapter/16-4-anatomy-of-the-nervous-system/. Accessed December 2025.
4. Kaiser JT, Lugo-Pico JG. Neuroanatomy, spinal nerves. [Updated 2023 Aug]. In: StatPearls [internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK542218/.