What is Trigeminal Neuralgia?

Trigeminal nerve (the fifth cranial nerve) is responsible for sensation in the face, and its majour branches are separated into three, ophthalmic nerve (V1), maxillary nerve (V2), and mandibular nerve (V3). Pain caused in trigeminal nerve is called trigeminal neuralgia.
The pain of trigeminal neuragia occurs almost exclusively in mandibular nerve (V3) and the pain is usually very severe. The pain occur along the mandibular nerve, your lower cheek, lower lip and lower jaw. The running pain along your nerve occur for few seconds when its longer 10 seconds or so. The pain occurs by various movement for example, washing face, shaving, chewing, and cold stimulation, such as cold wind. It is often notices that symptoms get worse in winter periods.

Cause of Trigeminal Neuralgia

Trigeminal Nerve (V1, V2, and V3) combine into one at the back of the skull, and become ticker, and connect to brain. The membrane covering nerves at the openings in the brain is rather weak and some stimulation such as abnormal blood vessel, edema around the vessel, and tumor, causes the pain by compressing the nerve. There are also cases that herpes zoster virus damages the nerve and cause pain. Therefore its cause need to be differentiated.

Trigeminal Neuralgia and Acupuncture Treatment

In general, treatment toward pain (pain relieving effect, and sedative action) is area of speciality for acupuncture treatment. Tiredness, stress, autonomic imbalance, and in eastern medicine Qi and blood stagnation are also the cause of trigeminal neuralgia symptoms.

Majour merit of acupuncture treatment is that it works not only for relieving pain but also for healing holistically with caring individual uniqueness. Please consult us, if you can not observe the improvement in symptoms after receiving nerve blocks or drug therapy. There is no side effect for acupuncture treatment, hence you can combine with other treatments.