Most people will experience back pain at sometime in their life. Fortunately most back pain is myofascial or due to muscle or ligament strain. This type of back pain will resolve in a few weeks with conservation therapy. Treatment includes anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen and physical therapy. More serous back pain radiates into the lower extremities. Pain that persists for more than three months is considered chronic back pain.

Neuropathic pain by definition is nerve injury pain. The most common presentation is diabetic peripheral and post herpetic neuralgia (Post-shingles pain). Neuropathic pain can occur with other conditions where there may or may not be a documented nerve injury. Failed back syndrome, which consists of continued back and leg pain usually following multiple surgical procedures, almost certainly has a neuropathic pain component. Anterior thigh pain without weakness may be a condition called meralgia paristetica. This is an injury to the lateral femoral cutanious nerve which runs medial to the “hip bone” as a result of a tight or heavy belt such as an electrician or a policeman wears. Often following an inguinal hernia repair, persistent pain may be from an injury to the ilioinguinal nerve. Some headaches can be a result of occipital neuralgia which is an injury to the nerve that goes to the back (occipital) area of the head. Finally, traumatic often to legs or arms can result in neuropathic pain.