Pain is your body’s way of telling you that something’s wrong — but that doesn’t mean all pain is the same. Finding effective pain management starts with identifying the exact type of pain you’re dealing with, and two of the most common types are nerve pain (neuropathic pain) and tissue pain (nociceptive pain).
Understanding the differences between these types of pain is essential for getting the right treatment. Because nerve pain and tissue pain have different causes, they require distinct management strategies. Here’s what you need to know about why treatment plans differ, from pain management specialist Eric Fanaee, MD.
Tissue pain, or musculoskeletal pain, occurs when there’s physical, and often visible, damage or inflammation to body tissues like your muscles, joints, skin, or organs. This is the most common type of pain that people experience, especially after injuries or due to chronic conditions like arthritis.
Tissue pain is often described as sharp, aching, or throbbing pain. It’s typically localized to a specific area of your body, and it may worsen with activity, movement, or pressure.
For example, if you develop tendonitis in your shoulder, the discomfort you feel is nociceptive pain. While causes vary, tissue pain is usually the result of trauma, overuse, or an inflammatory process, and it tends to improve as your injury heals.
Nerve pain, or neuropathic pain, stems from damage or dysfunction in your nervous system. This type of pain is often chronic, persisting even after the original injury has healed. It doesn’t always have a clear cause, and there may not be any physical damage visible through diagnostic testing or medical imaging.
Many people describe nerve pain as burning, shooting, or electric shock-like sensations. It can also feel like tingling and hypersensitivity, or even numbness. And because there’s often no visible sign of injury, nerve pain can feel out of proportion to its cause.
Nerve pain can occur after a traumatic nerve injury, spinal cord compression, or as a symptom of another condition like diabetes, shingles, or sciatica. This type of pain can be especially frustrating because it doesn’t always respond well to standard pain relievers or rest — and unlike tissue pain, it may even worsen over time without the right intervention.
Because tissue pain and nerve pain originate from different systems within your body, the treatment approaches we take must be different, too.
The goal of tissue pain management is to relieve discomfort, reduce inflammation, and support healing. We typically manage tissue pain with:
Nerve pain, on the other hand, often requires a more complex and multifaceted approach. Dr. Fanaee and our team specialize in identifying the root cause of your pain and developing a personalized treatment plan to relieve your symptoms. Depending on your diagnosis, we might recommend:
Whether you're dealing with a pinched nerve, a herniated disc, or a musculoskeletal injury, our goal is to restore function and improve your quality of life.
Not sure where your pain is coming from? Wondering which treatment path will give you the relief you need? Dr. Fanaee can match you with the most effective therapies to help you move toward a life with less pain. Call us at 631-265-2020 or book an appointment now at one of our clinics in Copiague, Smithtown, or West Islip, New York.
