Axillary nerve

Looks like

A branch of the posterior cord that wraps around the back of the upper arm bone just below the shoulder joint.

What it does

Moves the deltoid and teres minor and brings feeling from the skin over the outer shoulder.

Keeping it well

Injured in shoulder dislocations or upper arm fractures: weak arm lifting and a numb 'regimental badge' patch.

Its parts

• Muscular branches of axillary nerve
• Superior lateral brachial cutaneous nerve

Related conditions

• Amyloidosis (AL and ATTR)
• Botulism
• Chickenpox (varicella)
• Chronic neuropathic pain
• Chronic pain syndrome
• Fibromyalgia
• Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis)
• Guillain-Barré syndrome
• Lyme disease
• Myasthenia gravis
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Polymyalgia rheumatica
• Rabies
• Restless legs syndrome
• Shingles (herpes zoster)
• Shoulder dislocation
• Tetanus
• Thoracic outlet syndrome
• Vitamin B1, C and other deficiencies