Understanding Spinal Nerve Pain Vs. Spinal Tissue Pain
Category: Back Pain | Author: Stefano Sinicropi
Spinal pain is unique to the individual, but at its core, it tends to be caused by one of a few different issues. Two of the most common causes of spinal discomfort and related symptoms are spinal nerve pain and spinal tissue pain. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at how you can determine if your back pain is being caused by a problem with a spinal tissue or a spinal nerve, and we touch on the treatment similarities and differences for each underlying cause.
Spinal Tissue Pain
Pain that is the result of a spinal tissue issue is oftentimes also referred to as musculoskeletal pain. In these situations, there is physical damage to and inflammation around different spinal tissues, like muscles, ligaments, tendons or joints. It is the most common type of back pain that the average individual experiences. Pulling a muscle or suffering some microtearing to a spinal ligament are incredibly common when we put acute or chronic stress on our spine.
How It’s Described:
- Sharp
- Throbbing
- Localized
- Aching
- Sore
- Worsens with activity
How It’s Treated:
- Anti-inflammatory medications
- Short-term rest
- Physical therapy
- Corticosteroid injections/muscle relaxers
Spinal tissue injuries tend to respond well to the above treatments over the course of a few days or weeks, depending on the severity of the injury. It’s rare for these conditions to require surgery, but if the injury is major or compromises the integrity of the spinal column, a minimally invasive corrective procedure may be ordered.
Spinal Nerve Pain
Spinal nerve pain is the result of damage, compression or irritation of one of the many spinal nerves that traverse through our spinal column en route to their final destination. If bone spurs, a disc herniation or the onset of spinal stenosis narrows the passage through which these nerves pass, spinal nerve pain can develop.
How It’s Described:
- Burning
- Tingling
- Shooting
- Wave-like
- Hypersensitivity
- Pain that worsens with certain movements
How It’s Treated:
- Short-term rest
- Neuropathic medications
- Nerve blocks
- Physical therapy
- Spinal cord stimulation
- Minimally invasive decompressive surgery
Both nerve pain and tissue pain can heal with the help of conservative treatments, but a tissue injury does tend to respond better to non-operative care than nerve conditions. It’s more likely that more involved treatment at the hands of a professional will be needed for nerve compression, but they’ll work to address the issue with conservative methods before progressing to more invasive methods.
So if you believe you’re dealing with a spinal tissue injury or nerve pain and you want to consult with a specialist who is confident they can find the right type of treatment for you, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi and the team at The Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today at (651) 430-3800.
