The 4 Types Of Back Pain – Treating Neuropathic Back Pain
Category: Back Pain | Author: Stefano Sinicropi | Date: June 17, 2026
Back pain is generally categorized into one of four types – mechanical, inflammatory, neuropathic and referred. We’re creating a four-part series that takes a closer look at each type of back pain and how it is most commonly treated. We’re going to continue the series by looking at neuropathic back pain and discussing how this common type of back pain can be effectively treated.
What Is Neuropathic Back Pain?
Neuropathic back pain describes discomfort that stems from a problem with your nervous system. If one or more spinal nerves become damaged, it can send the wrong signals to pain centers in your body. Conditions like a herniated disc, bone spurs or spinal stenosis can compress, irritate or damage key spinal nerves, leading to localized or radiating discomfort.
Spinal neuropathic pain can also be caused by the development of certain diseases and health conditions. Diabetes is a leading cause of nerve damage and neuropathic back pain, but so too can other conditions like shingles, alcohol use disorder, complex regional pain syndrome and HIV/AIDS.
Symptoms of neuropathic back pain include:
- Localized or shooting nerve pain
- Sensory changes
- Overstimulation (mild touch leading to extreme symptoms)
- Understimulation (painful stimuli causes limited pain response)
- Numbness
- Tingling
- Sensitivity to touch
Treating Neuropathic Back Pain
It’s critical that you connect with your primary care physician or a spine specialist if you are experiencing symptoms indicative of neuropathic spine pain. As we described above, neuropathic spine pain can be the result of a physical issue like a shifted disc or a narrowing of a nerve pathway, or it can be the result of another health condition like diabetes or the effects of long-term alcohol use. Until you know the root cause of your issue, it’s going to be impossible to set you up with the right treatment plan for your needs.
Your doctor will review your medical history, ask you questions about your symptoms and conduct a physical exam. Imaging tests may also be ordered to get a better look at the nerves and the surrounding structures. If a physical spinal issue is causing the nerve problem, you’ll likely be told to try some conservative methods to decompress the irritated nerve. That will typically include rest, anti-inflammatories, physical therapy, gentle stretching, weight loss and low-impact exercise over the course of a number of weeks. For more severe cases or those that don’t respond well to non-operative treatment, a minimally invasive decompressive procedure may be recommended. Surgery may involve removing an offending bone spur, replacing a worn disc or fusing vertebral sections to limit painful movement.
If your nerve damage is caused by other health issues, a more whole-body wellness management plan will be paired with some of the interventions listed above. Improving your diet, losing weight, managing your blood glucose levels and avoiding alcohol and other potentially harmful substances can work to normalize nerve symptoms or prevent their progression. Sometimes these treatments are paired with psychological counseling and other types of mental health treatments to help patients with the emotional burden of these underlying health conditions.
Stay tuned to our blog for the final installment of the series, which includes a deep dive into the treatment options for referred spine pain! And as always, connect with Dr. Sinicropi and the team at Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today if you want a professional to take a closer look at your back. Give Dr. Sinicropi a call today at (651) 430-3800.
