What is Trigeminal Neuralgia?

Have you ever heard of trigeminal neuralgia? It is a relatively rare, but painful condition that affects the nerves between a person's face and their brain. Most commonly those affected are persons over fifty years of age--and more women than men are affected. This condition is also referred to as tic douloureux. The causes of this condition include, but are not limited to, stroke, injury, or brain lesions.

Trigeminal nerve=area in yellow

Those affected with this condition typically experience short, mild attacks . Simple everyday personal care such as shaving or brushing teeth can be excruciating! A doctor will suspect this condition if a person:

--experiences shock--like jolts of pain intermittently in areas of the face
--the location of the pain is important; it's tell tale if someone is truly affected by this condition
--the circumstances that trigger the pain also help to indicate whether or not this is trigeminal neuralgia

A neurological exam will be an important part of the diagnostic process. An MRI may also be ordered to rule out other possible conditions.

This condition can be treated with medication, surgical procedures, and injections. There are also

alternative and complementary treatments available, including biofeedback, vitamins or nutritional therapies, and acupuncture. A new ultrasound therapy device, known as Pain Shield® was made available in the last year and may offer hope to those who have not had success with other types of treatments.

Sources: Mayo Clinic; gstatic.com;Wikimedia

Comments

Living with Chronic pain hits the big screen!

Been to the movies lately? Jennifer Aniston is on the big screen in a recent release titled "Cake." Her character, Claire is a victim of chronic pain...she belongs to a support group, where all of the members are coming to terms with the suicide of one of their members. Of course, she also takes pain medication and addiction is another of her problems...and of course there's more! I guess I am writing this post just to bring readers' attention to the fact that Hollywood has become aware of the crisis that is chronic pain. This movie is a testament to that. People that don't have to live with this kind of pain don't fully understand the whole story. Maybe this movie will shed some light on the issues. Here is the official trailer for the movie: Sources: prweb;NorthJersey.com;YouTube

Effectiveness Of Ozone Injections Is No Longer Up In The Air

Most of us know someone who has osteoarthritis, if we don't have it ourselves. Joint replacement surgery is a pretty common remedy when the joint becomes severely damaged and the patient is in a lot of pain. With risk of complications from such a surgery, perhaps an alternative treatment should be tried first. One such remedy is the injection of a synthetic version of collagen(e.g. Synvisc®) into the affected joint. This procedure restores the cushioning to a joint that has degenerated over the years. It can diminish the pain substantially and help put off joint replacement surgery for months to years. The biggest drawback is that these products are expensive. GoodRX , a web site that can be used to estimate the cost of medications, estimates the cost of these products to be over $1,000 each. Here's another example--and I am not sure how widely accepted this protocol has become since study authors introduced it in November 2015. Are you ready for this? Inject

Beware Of The Tick!

It's tick season, everyone! And while we all know about Lyme Disease and its lingering effects, a new problem has entered the scene. According to the CDC, the Powassan virus is another tick-borne disease that has recently been recognized. The CDC says symptoms become apparent anywhere from one week to one month after infection. Symptoms include vomiting, weakness, confusion, loss of coordination, problems with speech and seizures. Approximately half of those infected by this virus have permanent neurological symptoms, which can include muscle wasting, problems with memory, and recurrent headaches. Many people who have been infected with Powassan virus required hospitalization and sometimes even respiratory support (i.e., a respirator). Treatment is focused on supportive measures. In the meantime, preventive measures are the best way to avoid Lyme disease, Powassan virus , or any other tick-borne virus. You can read more about preventive measures by clicking here . Sour

Everyday pain management ideas

Search This Blog