Sensory nerve

A sensory nerve conducts a signal that one of the senses has picked up to the central nervous system. Sensory cells provide the perception of sensation, such as warmth, cold, and pain.

A sensory nerve is also called an afferent nerve. It carries stimuli towards the central nervous system. The motor nerve or efferent nerve works in the opposite direction, transmitting signals from the central nervous system.

Sensory cells are thus able to conduct stimuli from outside to the central nervous system, such as pain, temperature, and the registration of the position of a joint or body part. The 'receivers' located in the musculoskeletal system are also called proprioceptors. For that reason, the sense of the musculoskeletal system is also called proprioception.

The cell body of a sensory nerve fibre lies in a bulge just before the spinal cord. This is called a spinal ganglion. Each ganglion has one projection that splits into two fibres: one that goes to the skin or to the musculoskeletal system and one that ends in the spinal cord.

Symptoms of sensory nerves

Due to the course of sensory nerves, it is relatively easy to determine which nerve causes issues. For example, with tingling or a dull feeling on the little-finger side of the hand, a physiotherapist, GP, or neurologist immediately knows which nerve is involved and the location where this nerve leaves the spinal cord.

In this way, the practitioner can examine the course of the nerve to investigate where the nerve is being pinched. It is due to a pinched nerve that the familiar sleeping or tingling fingers or feet occur.