Spanish
Korean
What is Trigeminal Neuralgia?
Trigeminal neuralgia, or tic douloureux, is a chronicneurological disorder. Before we move towards deeper andcomplicated details it is necessary to understand this disordervery clearly. As the name of this disorder suggests it concerns thefifth cranial nerve called the trigeminal nerve.
Due to a lesion or injury to CN V the function of this nerve isimpaired. To understand the condition it is necessary to understandthe route of CN V. this nerve is divided into three parts;ophthalmic, maxillary and mandibular division.
Ophthalmic branch innervates the orbital region, the maxillarybranch innervates the region till the upper gum and the mandibularregion innervates lower jaw, lower lip, and lower gum. Trigeminalneuralgia is characterized by sudden, sharp, stabbing pain in thejaw and surrounding region.
Usually, this searing pain lasts for merely 2 seconds but itsduration can stretch for as long as 2 minutes. The electricshock-like pain in this disorder is prim targets the jaw, gums, andteeth. This disorder mainly occurs on one side of the face and thattoo only in the lower part.
Quite rarely, this condition affects both sides of the face. Inthat condition, it is called Bilateral Trigeminal Neuralgia.Initially, the duration and intensity of pain are short and mildbut as the time period progresses the duration, frequency, andintensity of pain increase.
People affected by trigeminal neuralgia experience episodes ofaching and throbbing pain for several days, weeks, and even months.There is a possibility of the pain to subside on its own for a fewmonths or years but it usually makes a come-back. Shockingly, thepain experienced in trigeminal neuralgia is the most excruciatingand intense pain known to humanity and medicine.
Trigeminal neuralgia has two types.
Type 1 TN: Type 1, also called classic andtypical, trigeminal neuralgia involves sudden, stabbing, andelectric shock-like pain in the lower part of the face. This painlasts for a minimum of 2 seconds to a maximum of 1-2 minutes ineach episode. In severe episodes, a stabbing pain jolts into thelower jaw for more than hundreds of times. When episodes form aquick series then the duration of pain stretches to 1-2hours.
Type 2 TN: Type 2, also called atypical,trigeminal neuralgia does not involve episodes of jolting pain inthe lower face. Instead, there is a continuous episode of dull,burning, and stabbing pain in the lower jaw.
Both types of trigeminal neuralgia can exist at the sametime.
Trigeminal neuralgia is a non-nociceptivepain.
The term ‘nociceptive’ must be new or strange for you but it isstrongly associated with trigeminal neuralgia. Basically, there aretwo types of pain; nociceptive and non-nociceptive. In the former,there must a trigger to initiate pain and stimulate the painreceptors in the body to sense the pain.
Every kind of pain we feel after burning, hitting, falling orany other act is an example of nociceptive pain. Now comesnon-nociceptive pain. This type of pain does not require anexternal factor to initiate pain signals and stimulate the painreceptors.
Damage to the nerve due to lesion or damage stimulates the nerveto send signals of pain without any stimulus. That is why a personwith trigeminal neuralgia experiences a sudden attack of pain. Infact, the term ‘neuralgia’ typically means non-nociceptivepain.
Who is at risk?
According to National Institute of Neurological Disordersand Stroke (NINDS), trigeminal neuralgia is more common inwomen as compared to men. Although it affects people of all agegroups, still those people who are older than 50 are at risk.
Moreover, there is a genetic factor that influences theoccurrence of this neuropathy. Since blood vessel characteristicsare inherited from the family therefore it is likely to occur inthe off-springs. Other risk factors include multiple sclerosis (MS)and hypertension.
What are the causes?
When we talk about how it happens we mention two things; causesand triggers. Brain lesions, tumor, genetics, surgical injuries,and physical injury to trigeminal nerve appear to be the maincauses of trigeminal neuralgia.
However, more important to understand and acknowledge are thetriggers. There are certain acts that put pressure on the nerve andpinch or compress the nerve. Triggers include shaving, washingface, touching the face, smiling, eating, drinking, feeling abreeze on the face, putting on makeup, talking, and brushingteeth.
These are not extraordinary acts but very simple acts from dailylife.
What are the symptoms of TrigeminalNeuralgia?
- In trigeminal neuralgia, there are sudden episodes of severestabbing pain in the lower part of the face mainly the lowerjaw.
- These attacks of pain occur upon touching the faceanyhow.
- Each episode of pain lasts for few seconds to few minutes. Inworse cases, duration extends up to 1-2 hours.
- Before the episode of searing pain begins there is constant,dull aching pain for a few days, weeks, or months. Ultimately, theache develops into a sudden jolt of pain.
How is it diagnosed?
There is not a specific or single test for the diagnosis oftrigeminal neuralgia. Mostly, a doctor concludes this diagnosis byrelying on history, clinical presentation, symptoms, and physicalexamination. They touch the face to determine the location of thepain.
They inquire about the intensity, frequency, and duration ofpain. To confirm the diagnosis, they perform MRI. By screening, thepossibility of multiple sclerosis can be ruled out.
Chiropractic care is the answer toit!
Upper cervical chiropractic is known to reduce the symptoms oftrigeminal neuralgia. The trigeminal nerve originates frombrainstem which lies exactly above the spinal cord. The first andsecond cervical vertebrae named Atlas and Axis when disturbed causeimpairment in the function of CN V.
With gentle adjustments the cervical vertebrae are aligned whichminimizes the symptoms. Chiropractic experts believe in their vastexperience of providing relief to the patients who were in pain dueto trigeminal neuralgia. This neuropathy causes disturbance in lifeand causes cognitive behaviors.
Leave a comment