Trigeminal neuralgia

Written by Gao Yi Shen
Neurosurgery
Updated on December 29, 2024
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Trigeminal neuralgia is very common in clinical practice and its pain is relatively severe. Most cases exhibit a cutting-like or electric shock-like pain, and sometimes burning pain can also occur. The pain process is often very painful, but once the nature of the pain disappears, there are basically no obvious clinical symptoms during the intermission period. Therefore, in practical work and learning, it is essential to avoid triggering trigeminal neuralgia, such as by reducing exposure to cold and hunger, and minimizing chewing hard foods, all of which can reduce the occurrence of trigeminal neuralgia. However, the most important point is that if trigeminal neuralgia persists, it is crucial to visit a hospital for appropriate diagnosis and treatment in order to achieve a relatively good therapeutic effect and reduce the patient's suffering.

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trigeminal neuralgia scope

The range of trigeminal neuralgia attacks is usually located in the sensory area of the trigeminal nerve root, broadly covering both sides of the patient's nostrils and around the corners of the mouth. The nature of the pain is quite severe, often described as knife-like pain or burning pain. The duration of each pain episode varies, often starting and stopping suddenly. Around the pain area, fixed trigger points are likely to form. Accidentally touching these trigger points while brushing teeth, washing faces, or rinsing mouths can often trigger an attack of trigeminal neuralgia. Over time, due to repeatedly triggering the pain by touching these points, patients may become afraid to wash their faces or brush their teeth, and may experience facial muscle numbness or atrophy.

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Written by Li Pei
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What should I do if trigeminal neuralgia recurs?

After the recurrence of trigeminal neuralgia, oral medication can be considered as the initial treatment. If the effect of the medication is not clear, or the side effects are intolerable, then balloon compression or radiofrequency treatment can be considered. These two methods can be used repeatedly, but they also have a certain recurrence rate. If neither medication nor radiofrequency treatment achieves satisfactory results, then surgical treatment can be considered. Microvascular decompression surgery of the trigeminal nerve can be performed under a microscope, where the trigeminal nerve and the blood vessel compressing it are separated, which can fundamentally resolve trigeminal neuralgia. (Specific medications should be used under the guidance of a physician.)

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Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
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What should I do about trigeminal neuralgia of the teeth?

Trigeminal neuralgia in the teeth is generally caused by lesions in the areas controlled by the trigeminal nerve, leading to pain. This pain has trigger points, which could be a particular patch of skin or triggered during face washing, producing paroxysmal, electric shock-like pain. It is important to differentiate this from tooth-related nerve pain. Sometimes toothache may resemble symptoms of trigeminal neuralgia. If dental treatment does not relieve the pain, it might be trigeminal neuralgia related to the teeth. Trigeminal neuralgia requires medication, and there are many types of treatments available. If medicinal treatment proves ineffective, surgical treatment or acupuncture may be employed. In severe cases, nerve tissue blockage can be performed to temporarily relieve the pain.

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Written by Feng Ying Shuai
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Where to massage for trigeminal neuralgia?

Trigeminal neuralgia is a stubborn and hard-to-treat condition in clinical practice. Sometimes symptoms can be alleviated through massage. Which acupoints should be massaged? For severe eye branch pain, you can massage Jingming, Sibai, Yangbai, and Touwei acupoints. If the pain is in the maxillary branch, you can massage Yingxiang, Quanliao, Xiaguan, and Tinggong acupoints. For severe mandibular branch pain, massage Chengjiang, Dicang, and Jiache acupoints, meaning the massage technique should progress from gentle to firm.

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Which hospital is good for trigeminal neuralgia?

For trigeminal neuralgia, it is generally recommended that patients seek medical advice from a prominent tertiary hospital early in the onset and consult a neurosurgeon to assess their condition. Once diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia, initial treatment can often start with oral medication, which can relieve pain to a certain extent for most patients. However, medication alone rarely cures the condition completely. Clinically, it is typically recommended that patients undergo microvascular decompression surgery, which has satisfying therapeutic outcomes for most patients, gradually alleviating, or even eliminating, the symptoms of trigeminal neuralgia pain. Therefore, for such patients, early diagnosis and treatment are advised.