Articles by Laxmaiah Manchikanti, MD
and Mahendra Sanapati, MD
What are the types of Spinal Pain?
Pain in the low back, neck, and extremities may be either local, referred or radicular.
LOCAL PAIN
Local pain is felt in the spine mainly due to sprain, strain and arthritis.
REFERRED PAIN
Referred pain or somatic pain typically from facet joints or discs is limited to the low back or neck with some pain felt in the extremities which is deep, bony, throbbing, and aching.
RADICULAR PAIN
In contrast, radicular pain predominantly in the extremities due to nerve root irritation, is sharp, shooting, like an electric shock which can be traced with a superficial line in the skin.