Trigeminal Nerve Pain: How OMSs Help Reduce Discomfort
What is Trigeminal Nerve Pain?
The trigeminal nerve provides feeling to the face and mouth. Severe and debilitating pain can occur when this nerve is affected. Examples of causes can include trauma, tumors, infections or injuries during surgical procedures. Trigeminal nerve pain usually affects one side of the face and causes sudden, electric shock-like pain. This pain can be triggered by simple everyday activities such as eating, talking or touching the face.
If you have trigeminal nerve pain, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon (OMS) can help with both surgical and non-surgical treatment options.
What are the Causes of Trigeminal Nerve Pain?
There are multiple causes of trigeminal nerve pain, including:
- Nerve compression: In some cases, the trigeminal nerve can become compressed or inflamed, causing pain. This compression can be caused by a blood vessel compressing a nerve or by another underlying disease such as a tumor.
- Nerve injury: Trigeminal nerve injuries are often caused by facial trauma and can cause chronic pain. For example, head trauma can affect the nerve, but it also can be injured during surgical procedures such as cosmetic surgery and wisdom tooth extractions.
- Infections: Some infections, such as reactivated herpes virus, can cause lingering trigeminal nerve pain.
- Stroke: Some people may begin experiencing trigeminal nerve pain after a stroke.
How Can an OMS Help?
If you suspect you’re suffering from trigeminal nerve pain, it is important to consult an OMS who will assess your symptoms, perform a thorough examination and review your medical history to make an accurate diagnosis. Other diagnostic tests – such as imaging tests like MRIs – also may be ordered to identify the cause of the pain.
What Are Treatment Options?
Your OMS will recommend appropriate treatment to relieve symptoms. Treatment options include:
- Medication management: Your OMS, neurologist, specialist pain doctor, or neurosurgeon may prescribe medications – such as anticonvulsants or muscle relaxants – to relieve nerve pain and reduce spasms in the affected area.
- Nerve block: In certain cases, an OMS may administer nerve blocks to aid in diagnosis, relieve symptoms and help determine long-term solutions. Anesthetic medications are injected directly into the affected nerve to numb it and temporarily relieve pain.
- Surgical intervention: Sometimes, surgery may be needed to relieve pain in the trigeminal nerve or address the underlying cause. A neurosurgeon can perform procedures such as microvascular decompression, which relieves the cause of nerve compression by moving blood vessels away from the trigeminal nerve. Other surgical options include rhizotomy, which selectively destroys nerve fibers that carry pain signals.
- Joint care: Your OMS may work with neurologists, neurosurgeons and pain management specialists to create a comprehensive treatment plan tailored to your specific needs.
What are Other Ways to Cope With Trigeminal Nerve Pain?
In addition to medical procedures, there are some self-care strategies that can help manage trigeminal nerve pain:
- Avoid triggers: Identify and avoid activities and triggers that make pain worse, such as eating certain foods or touching certain parts of the face.
- Apply heat or cold: Applying hot or cold compresses to the affected area may temporarily relieve symptoms.
- Practice stress management: Stress can increase pain. Use relaxation techniques such as breathing exercises, meditation and yoga to reduce stress.
Because each person’s experience with trigeminal nerve pain is different, treatment plans vary. Communicate openly with your OMS, follow all recommendations and report any changes in symptoms.
