Nervous System II Clinical Correlates

what is paresthesia?

a feeling of "pins and needles" such as when a part of the body "falls asleep"

what is anosmia?

a loss of smell

what is herpes zoster (shingles)?

a viral infection of the spinal ganglia of spinal nerves

what is dental anesthesia?

administration of an anesthetic agent to block pain during dental procedures

what does an inferior alveolar nerve block do?

anesthetizes the lower teeth, as well as the lower lip and chin

what are "stingers"?

common injuries in contact sports such as football caused by violent stretching of the brachial plexus

what is the purpose of pudendal nerve block?

done to provide pain relief during the later stages of childbirth when the lower vagina and perineum are stretched by presentation of the baby's head

what is the most well-known palsy of infants?

erb's palsy

what is brachial plexus palsy?

muscle weakness or paralysis and/or loss of sensation in the upper limb caused by an injury to the brachial plexus

what is sciatica?

pain that radiates along the course of the sciatic nerve, from the buttock down the posterior thigh

what is neuralgia?

the general term for "nerve pain", usually sharp, throbbing pain that follows the distribution of a nerve

what is bell's palsy?

unilateral paralysis of the muscles supplied by the facial nerve, most prominently the muscles of the facial expression