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Types of Pain
Learn about acute, chronic, neuropathic, radicular, and musculoskeletal pain. Peak Spine & Sports Medicine offers opioid-free care in Marlton and Collingswood, NJ.

Types of Pain

Pain Treatments in Marlton and Collingswood, NJ

Pain can be difficult to describe and may not have a clear source. It may feel sharp, aching, burning, electric, throbbing, stiff, deep, radiating, or widespread. Pain may start suddenly after an injury, develop gradually, or persist long after the initial issue has resolved.

At Peak Spine & Sports Medicine, we help patients identify their pain type and explore non-opioid treatment options. Accurate diagnosis is essential, as acute, chronic, neuropathic, radicular, and musculoskeletal pain often require different treatment approaches.

We offer opioid-free, interventional pain care focused on education, outcomes, and quality of life. Dr. Milind Patel, Dr. Jill Kalariya, Brian Brown, PA, and our team provide care through a concierge model that ensures clarity, organization, and a personalized experience.

Be sure to view our “Where Does It Hurt?” page for more helpful information on popular treatments.

To schedule a pain consultation in Marlton or Collingswood, NJ, call Peak Spine & Sports Medicine at (833) 377-7325 or request an appointment online. Telehealth consultations are available when appropriate. We serve Marlton, Haddonfield, Collingswood, Cherry Hill, Medford, Moorestown, Mount Laurel, Voorhees, Philadelphia, and surrounding communities.

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Musculoskeletal Pain

Musculoskeletal pain comes from the muscles, joints, bones, ligaments, tendons, or soft tissues.

Musculoskeletal pain is among the most common types. It may feel aching, stiff, sore, deep, sharp with movement, or tender to touch. Pain may be localized or involve multiple related structures:

  • Neck pain
  • Low back pain
  • Shoulder pain
  • Hip pain
  • Knee pain
  • Foot or ankle pain
  • Arthritis pain
  • Myofascial pain
  • Muscle spasms
  • Tendon or ligament pain
  • SI joint pain
  • Facet joint pain

Accurate diagnosis is essential for musculoskeletal pain, as treatment varies by source. For example, a painful knee may require a different approach than an SI joint, facet joint, trigger point, tendon, or shoulder issue. Treatment may include Trigger Point Injections, Joint & Extremity Injections, SI Joint Injections, Facet Joint Injections, Medial Branch Blocks, Radiofrequency Ablation, Genicular Nerve Ablation, PRP, Stem Cell Therapy in selected cases, or therapy referral when appropriate.

Acute Pain

Acute pain usually begins suddenly and is often connected to a specific injury, illness, strain, procedure, or flare-up.

Acute pain may result from lifting improperly, twisting a joint, falling, inflammation, or nerve irritation. It can be sharp, intense, or limiting, but usually improves as the underlying issue heals.

Acute pain may involve:

  • Back pain after a strain
  • Neck pain after an injury
  • Joint pain after a fall
  • Muscle pain after overuse
  • Nerve irritation after sudden disc inflammation
  • Headache or migraine flare-ups

Acute pain often improves with rest, activity modification, therapy, and time. If pain remains severe, evaluation, imaging, injections, or other targeted treatments may be necessary. Early diagnosis helps prevent short-term issues from becoming more complex.

Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is pain that lasts longer than expected or continues for months.

Chronic pain may begin after an injury, surgery, arthritis, disc problem, nerve condition, or other medical diagnosis. It can persist even after the original issue has healed and may impact sleep, mood, movement, work, exercise, travel, and family life.

Chronic pain may include:

  • Chronic low back pain
  • Chronic neck pain
  • Arthritis pain
  • Failed Back Surgery Syndrome
  • Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Chronic migraines
  • Diabetic neuropathy
  • Long-term joint pain
  • Persistent nerve pain

Chronic pain care should be individualized and thorough. Our team identifies treatable pain sources, reviews prior treatments, and guides patients toward interventional options that support improved function without opioids.

Neuropathic Pain

Neuropathic pain is nerve-related pain.

Neuropathic pain occurs when nerves are damaged, irritated, compressed, inflamed, or overly sensitive. It often feels different from muscle or joint pain and may be described as burning, tingling, numbness, stabbing, pins and needles, electric shocks, or painful sensitivity to touch.

Neuropathic pain may be related to:

  • Diabetic neuropathy
  • Peripheral neuropathy
  • Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
  • Failed Back Surgery Syndrome
  • Nerve injury
  • Post-surgical nerve pain
  • Radiculopathy
  • Occipital neuralgia

Neuropathic pain may be widespread or follow a specific nerve path. Treatment depends on the diagnosis and may include non-opioid medications, nerve blocks, neuromodulation, Spinal Cord Stimulation, Peripheral Nerve Stimulation, or addressing an overlapping spine condition.

Radicular Pain

Radicular pain occurs when a spinal nerve root becomes irritated or compressed.

Radicular pain often radiates from the spine into the arm or leg. In the neck, it may extend to the shoulder, arm, hand, or fingers. In the lower back, it can travel to the buttock, hip, leg, foot, or toes. Sciatica is a common example of radicular pain from the lower back.

Radicular pain may feel:

  • Sharp
  • Shooting
  • Burning
  • Electric
  • Tingling
  • Numb
  • Weak
  • Radiating down one arm or leg

Radicular pain may result from a herniated or bulging disc, spinal stenosis, foraminal narrowing, degenerative disc disease, arthritis, bone spurs, or inflammation near a nerve root. Treatment may include Epidural Steroid Injections, Nerve Root / Selective Nerve Blocks, Disc Decompression in selected cases, MILD Procedure when lumbar spinal stenosis is involved, or surgical referral when symptoms are severe or neurologic changes are worsening.

Why Choose Peak Spine & Sports Medicine?

Peak Spine & Sports Medicine is committed to providing the same level of care we would expect for our own family members.

Patients choose our Marlton and Collingswood offices for comprehensive care, not just quick visits or prescriptions. With thorough consultations, our team takes time to understand the source of pain, its impact on daily life, previous treatments, and the activities patients wish to resume and works with patients to develop a customized plan.

Peak Spine & Sports Medicine offers:

  • Concierge, white-glove pain management care
  • A non-opioid approach to pain care
  • Ivy League-trained professionals
  • Double board-certified pain management physicians
  • Cutting-edge interventional techniques and technology
  • Advanced spine, joint, nerve, and musculoskeletal pain evaluation
  • Image-guided procedures when appropriate
  • Telehealth consults when appropriate
  • A supportive staff dedicated to reducing the burden on patients
  • Insurance access for eligible PPO/POS patients with out-of-network benefits

Care is led by Dr. Milind Patel and Dr. Jill Kalariya, double board-certified pain management physicians who perform advanced interventional procedures in the outpatient surgery center. Brian Brown, PA, supports patients through conservative care, diagnostic workups, imaging coordination, therapy recommendations, and follow-up planning, helping each patient navigate care with clarity.

We are selective with insurance participation to prioritize quality over volume. This approach allows our team to spend more time listening, explaining, and coordinating care for each patient, rather than following insurance company schedules. Visit our Why Choose Us page to learn more.

Schedule a Pain Consultation in Marlton or Collingswood, NJ

Pain should not be dismissed as a vague complaint. Whether symptoms are acute, chronic, neuropathic, radicular, or musculoskeletal, an accurate diagnosis helps patients understand their condition and appropriate treatment options.

For pain care in Marlton and Collingswood, NJ, contact Peak Spine & Sports Medicine at (833) 377-7325 or schedule a consultation online today. Our team will help determine whether the pain pattern, goals, and insurance benefits make our concierge interventional pain model the right fit.

We proudly serve patients in Marlton, Haddonfield, Collingswood, Cherry Hill, Medford, Moorestown, Mount Laurel, Voorhees, Philadelphia, and surrounding communities.

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Types of Pain Marlton, NJ – FAQs

Pain can be described in several ways. Some pain is categorized by duration, such as acute or chronic pain. Other pain is categorized by source, such as neuropathic, radicular, or musculoskeletal pain.

Acute pain usually starts suddenly and is often related to an injury, illness, strain, or flare-up. Chronic pain lasts longer than expected and may continue for months or longer.

Nerve pain may feel burning, tingling, stabbing, electric, numb, or sensitive to touch. It may come from diabetic neuropathy, peripheral neuropathy, radiculopathy, CRPS, post-surgical nerve pain, or another nerve condition.

Radicular pain happens when a spinal nerve root becomes irritated or compressed. It often travels from the neck into the arm or from the lower back into the buttock, hip, leg, or foot.

Diagnosis may include a detailed symptom review, physical exam, review of imaging studies, neurologic assessment, review of prior treatments, and discussion of how pain affects daily life. The goal is to identify the source or pathway most likely driving symptoms.

Musculoskeletal pain arises from muscles, joints, bones, tendons, ligaments, or other soft tissues. It may include back, neck, joint, arthritis, tendon, or myofascial pain, as well as muscle spasms.

Yes. Many patients have overlapping pain types. For example, a patient may have musculoskeletal low back pain along with radicular leg pain, or diabetic neuropathy along with spine-related nerve irritation.

Yes. Sciatica is commonly used to describe pain that travels from the lower back or buttocks into the leg. It is often caused by irritation of a lumbar nerve root.

No. Peak Spine & Sports Medicine is an opioid-free pain management practice. The team focuses on education, interventional procedures when appropriate, and targeted non-opioid treatment strategies.

Peak Spine & Sports Medicine accepts insurance and primarily works with PPO and POS plans that have out-of-network benefits. The practice does not participate with EPO, HMO, Medicare, or Medicaid plans. The team can help determine whether benefits may apply.