Table 1.

Differential features of referred pain and radicular pain.

Feature	Referred pain	Radicular pain
Quality	Dull, aching, gnawing, annoying, drilling, pressing	Shooting, lancinating, shocking, electric
Concomitant symptom	Secondary hyperalgesia trophic changes	Numbness, decreased muscle strength, weakened reflexes
Distribution pattern	A wide area with a boundary that is difficult to define, but with an identified center or core	Travels along the length of the lower limb in a band no more than 2–3 inches in width