Trigeminal Neuralgia

Trigeminal Neuralgia, also known as “Tic Doloreaux” in the past,  is the most common cause of facial neuralgia (pain from a disorder of a nerve).TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA A Nerve Pain-NOT a Tooth Pain

The pains occur along the pathways that conduct the sensations from the face and almost always are unilateral.  These pains are of varying quality but in close to the jaws and teeth – a  fact which leads to many mis-interpretations of the origins of the pains.

Patients can be quite certain that they have identified an offending tooth or gum area.  After their dentist provides an endodontic or surgical intervention, the pain will still be present, undiminished.

Accordingly, the most common cause of nerve pain in the head and neck area is often mistaken as being of tooth origin, when it is actually a Trigeminal Nerve condition which cannot be alleviated by any tooth treatment.

There is often a “trigger point” on the pace that will start the stab of pain when it is stimulated- even so lightly as from a breeze.

The medical treatment involves anti-epileptic medications or muscle relaxants.  My experience with patients suffering this neuralgia has been that there is incomplete relief with drug side effects that are almost as problematic as the Trigeminal Neuralgia, itself.

Surgical treatments are empirical and unpredictable.  There can be UNPREDICTABLE complications of numbness and or unremitting pain after surgical manipulation of the nerves involved.

Spontaneous remission or slow extinguishment is thankfully a common occurrence.