You might think that you just have facial pain, but it could be trigeminal neuralgia. When your trigeminal nerve is damaged, it can lead you to symptoms that affect your daily life activities like eating or talking. To avoid it from getting worse, you can count on the services of University Pain and Spine Center.
Our pain management experts in Somerset, Monroe, Ewing, Englewood Cliffs, Jersey City, Hoboken, Bloomfield, Freehold, Clark, and Elizabeth, New Jersey; and Bayridge, Manhattan, The Bronx, Brooklyn, and Hempstead, New York, are committed to helping patients find relief and regain control of their everyday lives.
Trigeminal neuralgia comes with facial and jaw pain. Patients feel a sharp, almost electric pain in their jaw, teeth or gums. Usually, it’s not a chronic pain一it comes in the form of short, sudden attacks that last from seconds to about 3 minutes, the way it stops is the same as it starts: unpredictable. TN can be caused due to a blood vessel or a tumor causing a nerve block, or conditions like multiple sclerosis.
In most cases, TN affects only one side of the lower face, but it can also cause discomfort in both sides of the face at different times. Patients can experience these pain attacks multiple times on a single day during weeks or months, and some of them may develop a burning sensation along with the pain. Eating, talking and breathing through the mouth are habits that are also affected by this condition, making it difficult to lead a normal daily routine.
During the diagnosis of trigeminal neuralgia, doctors search for patterns in the pain, its level of intensity and what triggers it. They also determine if there’s a cause like dental health issues or sinus problems. Your doctor could use a neurological exam to locate where the pain comes from, a reflex test to determine if the symptoms come from a compressed nerve, and a magnetic resonance imaging to reveal if there’s signs of having a tumor and the status of your blood flow.
Depending on how severe your condition is and how you respond to an initial treatment, your medications prescribed for TN may change. Anticonvulsants, muscle relaxants and tricyclic antidepressants are the most common treatments to alleviate symptoms. To reduce inflammation, nerve blocks or injections are used on some patients.
Trigeminal neuralgia management’s main goal is to relieve the aching pain the patient feels and to improve their quality of life. Through following the right treatment and getting proper care, you can reduce the debilitating effects of this condition.
For TN patients that live with the fear of a pain attack suddenly striking in the middle of their day, finding the right medical treatment and guidance is a mission to accomplish. Although trigeminal neuralgia doesn’t have a determined cure, your doctor can help you relieve the symptoms so you can lead a stress-free life.
At the University Pain and Spine Center, our healthcare professionals can take care of your condition. Contact us and book your appointment today if you’re in Englewood Cliffs, Somerset, Monroe Township, Freehold, and Clark, New Jersey.
