How Trigeminal Neuralgia Symptoms Can Best Be Treated

Trigeminal Neuralgia is a seriously painful condition and, as such, it is clearly a priority for those working in the field of treating and researching nerve-based medical problems to find solutions. Thankfully for those who would actually prefer to live and do so without extreme pain, there are some treatments, with new developments promising much greater relief than before.

Trigeminal Neuralgia Explained

Trigeminal Neuralgia relates to the trigeminal nerves, which transfer feeling between the face and the brain. The nerves are present in the neck and by the brain stem, running up behind the ear.

Sometimes neuralgia arises as a result of damage to the nerve, or pressure being placed on it by causes ranging from compression by a blood vessel or artery to a tumour. Multiple sclerosis sufferers sometimes endure the condition due to damage to the protective myelin sheath around the nerves. On other occasions, the cause cannot easily be diagnosed.

The causes may not all be the same, but the pain is. However, the good news is that there are various treatment options. Some of these are tried and tested and have been in use for some time. Others have been more pioneering and use techniques such as ultrasound and laser surgery.

Surgical Treatments

Common established forms of treatment include the following:

• Rhizotomy, which involves nerve fibres being cut by surgical means, radiofrequency treatment or injection of chemicals to destroy nerve endings. This prevents the further transmission of pain, although it can also reduce general feeling in the facial area, leading to numbness.


• Microvascular decompression, a form of surgery that reduces the pressure placed on the trigeminal nerves by blood vessels or arteries, either by relocating the vessel or placing a barrier between it and the nerve. Patients can be free of pain while still experiencing facial sensation, unlike with rhizotomy treatments.


• Radiofrequency Thermocoagulation uses a combination of heat and radio waves to damage part of the nerve so it is no longer able to transmit pain signals.

Such treatments can vary in how long they take, although the patient is usually able to return home swiftly or even on the same day. But the most important thing is whether they are effective.

However, these are not the only treatment options available, with the latest research indicating there are further viable ways of treating trigeminal neuralgia.

Opioid Interventions

For instance, a systematic review recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that there had been a very positive outcome from stricter guidelines on prescribing opioids, which enabled clinicians to prescribe more treatments for painful musculoskeletal disorders.

The study found that there had been a great increase in pain relief brought about by these muscle relaxants. This included trigeminal neuralgia, as well as various other conditions.  This data was collated by analysing a series of different long-term medical trials that had assessed the extended use of such medications, and found favourable outcomes.

Consequently, trigeminal neuralgia sufferers may find that such relaxants go a long way towards alleviating their symptoms, which may be sufficient sole treatment, supplement other treatments, or at least provide some interim relief before more extensive interventions such as one of those above.

A Repair Job Made In Sheffield

Another recent possible breakthrough was reported by the University of Sheffield. It revealed it had developed a new treatment that could repair the trigeminal nerve when it was damaged. While this would represent the opposite of the nerve surgery techniques described above, it is something that could be invaluable for multiple sclerosis patients.

The university explained that its technique involved identifying compounds that can be injected into areas of nerve damage that have not healed well. These additional compounds help it to heal better and reduce scarring.

Of course, this could have wider uses, not least in cases where damage to the trigeminal nerve, such as during dental surgery, might leave a patient with numbness in their face if it doesn’t heal properly. But better healing can also provide pain relief.

The Sheffield research, which has been going on since the 1990s, has added to the range of ways in which trigeminal nerve problems can be treated.

This is important because there are so many ways in which problems can occur, ranging from issues with the nerve itself to painful compression by veins of tumours. In the latter case, tumour excision or shrinkage through radiotherapy or chemotherapy can add to the list of possible treatments.

What may be heartening for those with the disease to hear, trigeminal neuralgia is a condition for which more treatment options now exist than ever, bringing increased hope to sufferers.

If you are suffering from trigeminal neuralgia and seeking guidance and support at the moment, you can find further information via the Queen Square website.