Maximus Gage
The somatic nervous system is a subdivision of the peripheral nervous system that stretches throughout the human body. It is responsible for all the functions we can consciously influence, including moving our arms, legs, and other body parts. The somatic nervous system contains two main types of neurons or nerve cells: sensory neurons, also known as afferent neurons, and motor neurons, also known as efferent neurons. The somatic nervous system connects the central nervous system with the body's muscles and skin. Its primary function is to control voluntary movements and reflex arcs, while also helping us process the senses of touch, sound, taste, and smell.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | Subdivision of the peripheral nervous system that stretches throughout the body |
| Involvement | All but one of the senses travel through the somatic nervous system to reach the brain (except sight) |
| Function | Controls voluntary movements and reflex arcs, processes sensory information |
| Composition | Sensory neurons (afferent neurons) and motor neurons (efferent neurons) |
| Voluntary muscular control | Controls all voluntary muscular systems within the body |
| Somatic reflex arcs | Affect the muscles |
| Somatic peripheral nerves | Structurally and functionally different from the autonomic nervous system |
| Somatic peripheral nervous system | A single-neuron system with motor neurons in the brainstem or spinal cord and sensory neurons in the dorsal root ganglia |
| Autonomic peripheral nervous system | A 2-neuron system with a neuron outside the CNS in the autonomic ganglia |
| Nerve fiber conduction velocity | Depends on the size of the nerve fibers and the degree of myelination |
| Nerve damage | Can be caused by certain medications, medical procedures, toxins, trauma, tumours, nerve compression, and infections |
| Muscle composition | Flexible muscle fibers ranging from <0.5 inches to 3 inches in diameter |
| Muscle function | Contraction of fibers allows movement of bones |
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What You'll Learn
Somatic nervous system and muscle movement
The somatic nervous system is a subdivision of the peripheral nervous system, which is all of the nervous system except the brain and spinal cord. It is also referred to as the voluntary nervous system as it is associated with the voluntary control of body movements via skeletal muscles. The somatic nervous system allows us to move and control muscles throughout our body. It also feeds information from four of our senses—smell, sound, taste, and touch—into our brain.
The somatic nervous system has connections in all 31 spinal nerves. These nerves branch out and spread throughout the body. Some of these nerves are sensory, conducting information from the body up to the brain. Others are motor nerves, conducting information from the brain to the muscles. The motor nerves are responsible for sending signals from the brain to the muscles, thereby controlling muscle movement.
The somatic nervous system is also responsible for a specific type of involuntary muscle response known as reflexes, controlled by a neural pathway known as the reflex arc. A reflex arc includes a sensory neuron that sends a signal straight to the spinal cord, bypassing the brain, which in turn generates a response such as a quick muscle contraction so fast that it is subconscious.
The somatic peripheral nervous system is a single-neuron system with motor neurons in the brainstem or spinal cord and sensory neurons in the dorsal root ganglia. The somatic nervous system's peripheral processes form the somatic peripheral nerves, which are structurally and functionally different from the autonomic nervous system.
Somatic movement is a method of sensorimotor education that uses somatic movement to improve motor control and sensation and change learned muscular patterns. It involves focusing on the internal experience and process of movement rather than the end result. Practicing somatic movement is different from traditional exercises like sit-ups or push-ups as it is about the quality of exploration and conscious attention rather than the quantity or intensity of movement. Somatic movement is typically practiced very slowly as the human nervous system learns new things slowly.
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Somatic muscle memory and chronic pain
The somatic nervous system is a subdivision of the peripheral nervous system, which stretches throughout nearly every part of the body. The somatic nervous system is responsible for delivering sensory information to the brain and carrying commands from the brain to the muscles, allowing for movement.
Somatic movement is a practice that focuses on the internal experience and process of movement rather than the end result. It involves slow, exploratory movements that aim to retrain muscle memory and improve motor control and sensation. One of the key tenets of somatic education is that students should be responsible for their own health and learning. The role of a somatic educator is to empower students to take care of themselves by teaching them the tools they need to release tension, relieve pain, and improve posture, movement, and somatic functioning.
Clinical Somatics, developed by Thomas Hanna, is a form of neuromuscular education that uses the technique of pandiculation to retrain muscle memory and relieve pain. Pandiculation is a voluntary movement that is part of our innate neuromuscular functioning. It helps to reduce the baseline level of tension in our muscles and can lead to looser, more relaxed muscles over time. By retraining muscle memory, Clinical Somatics can address patterns of tension, pain, and postural misalignment that contribute to chronic pain.
Chronic pain is often caused by the way we habitually use our bodies, such as sitting hunched over a computer. Our nervous system tells us which muscles to contract, when to release them, and how to stand and move. Over time, these patterns of movement and posture become deeply learned and automatic, a process known as muscle memory. However, sometimes we learn patterns that damage our bodies and lead to chronic pain and degeneration. By retraining muscle memory through somatic movement practices, individuals can release chronic muscle tension, relieve pain, and improve their posture and movement.
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Somatic nervous system and sensory input
The somatic nervous system is a subdivision of the peripheral nervous system, which is all of your nervous system except your brain and spinal cord. It is responsible for the voluntary control of body movements via skeletal muscles. The somatic nervous system carries motor and sensory signals to and from the central nervous system (CNS). This bodily system allows us to control our physical movements and process four of the five senses: smell, sound, taste, and touch. Unlike the autonomic system, which manages involuntary functions, the somatic nervous system links the brain and muscles, putting you in control.
The somatic nervous system contains two main types of neurons (nerve cells): sensory neurons, also known as afferent neurons, and motor neurons, also known as efferent neurons. Sensory neurons are responsible for carrying information from the body to the CNS, while motor neurons send signals from the CNS to the body. The brain and spinal cord are responsible for processing and integrating the various sources of information to allow us to develop a response. The main function of the somatic nervous system is to connect the CNS with organs and striated muscles to perform our daily functions.
The somatic nervous system has connections with all 31 spinal nerves. These nerves branch out and spread throughout the body. Some of the nerves in this system are sensory, conducting information from the body to the brain. Others are motor nerves, conducting information from the brain to the muscles. Both spinal and cranial nerves branch outward as smaller nerves throughout the body, ending at nerve endings in places like the tips of the fingers and toes or just underneath the skin.
The somatic nervous system is also associated with involuntary movements known as reflexes or reflex actions. These reflexes are controlled by a neural pathway known as a reflex arc. Reflex arcs include sensory nerves that carry signals to the spinal cord, often connecting with interneurons there, then immediately transmitting signals down the motor neurons to the muscles that triggered the reflex. During a reflex, muscles move involuntarily without input from the brain.
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Somatic nervous system and reflex arcs
Somatic muscles are those that are under voluntary control, such as skeletal muscles. The somatic nervous system is responsible for controlling these muscles, and it is a subdivision of the peripheral nervous system. The peripheral nervous system is made up of the autonomic nervous system and the somatic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system works without conscious thought, running the behind-the-scenes processes that keep us alive, while the somatic nervous system is responsible for functions we can consciously influence, such as moving our arms and legs.
The somatic nervous system consists of both afferent (sensory) and efferent (motor) nerves. The afferent nerves travel from the periphery towards the central nervous system (CNS), which is made up of the brain and spinal cord. The efferent nerves are responsible for sending signals from the CNS to the periphery. The brain and spinal cord process and integrate the various sources of information to allow us to develop a response.
The somatic nervous system is also responsible for the reflex arc, which involves using interneurons to perform reflexive actions. A reflex arc is a neural pathway that controls a reflex. In vertebrates, most sensory neurons synapse in the spinal cord, and the signal then travels through it into the brain. This allows for faster reflex actions to occur by activating spinal motor neurons without the delay of routing signals through the brain. The brain will receive the input while the reflex is being carried out, and the analysis of the signal takes place after the reflex action.
There are two types of reflex arcs: autonomic reflex arc and somatic reflex arc. Autonomic reflexes sometimes involve the spinal cord, and some somatic reflexes are mediated more by the brain than the spinal cord. During a somatic reflex, nerve signals travel along the following pathway: somatic receptors in the skin, muscles, and tendons; afferent nerve fibres carry signals from the somatic receptors to the posterior horn of the spinal cord or to the brainstem; an integrating centre where the neurons that compose the grey matter of the spinal cord or brainstem synapse; efferent nerve fibres carry motor nerve signals from the anterior horn to the muscles; and the effector muscle innervated by the efferent nerve fibre carries out the response.
The somatic reflex is an involuntary response to a stimulus, such as pulling one's hand away after touching a hot stove. The most common categories of somatic reflexes include the stretch reflex, the inverse stretch reflex, and the withdrawal reflex.
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Somatic nervous system damage
Somatic muscles refer to the voluntary control of body movements via skeletal muscles. The somatic nervous system is a subdivision of the peripheral nervous system that stretches throughout nearly every part of the body. It is responsible for functions that we can consciously influence, such as moving our arms and legs. The nerves in this system deliver information from our senses to our brains and carry commands from our brains to our muscles.
The somatic nervous system consists of both afferent (sensory) and efferent (motor) nerves. The sensory nerves conduct information from the body to the brain, while the motor nerves conduct information from the brain to the muscles. These nerves branch out from the spinal cord and become the network of nerves that spread throughout the body, ending at nerve endings in places like the fingertips and toes.
Damage to the somatic nervous system can occur in several ways and have various impacts on the body. Certain medications, such as antibiotics and chemotherapy drugs, can harm areas of the somatic nervous system. Additionally, poisons and toxins, including heavy metals like mercury and lead, can damage somatic nervous tissue, leading to problems with sensation and muscle control. Industrial chemicals may also cause similar damage.
Trauma from injuries can result in long-term or permanent damage to somatic nervous system tissue. Swelling from injuries can put excessive pressure on peripheral nerves, leading to disorders such as carpal tunnel syndrome and sciatica. Malignant and benign tumours can also interfere with the somatic nervous system, impacting senses and muscle control.
Somatic symptom and related disorders (SSDs) are a group of diseases where individuals experience physical symptoms that cause significant distress or disrupt their daily functioning. These symptoms are often accompanied by excessive thoughts, feelings, and behaviours related to the physical symptoms. SSDs can manifest as functional pain disorders, gastrointestinal issues, or neurological symptoms. Treatment for SSDs involves regular visits with a trusted healthcare professional to provide support, monitoring, and reassurance while avoiding unnecessary interventions.
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Frequently asked questions
Somatic muscles are controlled by the somatic nervous system, which is a subdivision of the peripheral nervous system. The somatic nervous system is responsible for carrying signals from the brain to the muscles, allowing for voluntary movement.
The somatic nervous system is responsible for carrying signals from the brain to the muscles, facilitating voluntary movement. It is also involved in processing sensory information from external stimuli, such as touch, sound, taste, and smell.
The somatic nervous system consists of two main types of neurons: sensory neurons and motor neurons. Sensory neurons carry information from the body to the central nervous system (CNS), while motor neurons carry information from the CNS to the muscles. These neurons project outward from the CNS and connect directly to the muscles, allowing for movement.
