Abstract: Microglia and macrophages encompass the innate immune response to injury in the central and peripheral nervous systems, respectively, and are intimately involved in the pathogenesis of maladaptive changes (Tsuda, 2019). These dynamic cells can influence neuronal activity in active and quiescent states. Conflicting findings argue that peripheral macrophages facilitate the development of nerve injury-induced neuropathic pain, as opposed to central microglia (Lopes et al., 2017; Yu et al., 2020). It is imperative to discern their spatiotemporal contributions to the development and maintenance of maladaptive conditions, such as neuropathic pain (Inoue and Tsuda, 2018). The individual role of these cell types is difficult to parse out because both microglia and macrophages exhibit a keen ability to react quickly to injury and remain reactive after injury-induced changes. Appropriate methods to isolate and characterize these cells in downstream applications is necessary to uncover key findings (Agalave et al., 2020).