Trigeminal neuralgia (tic douloureux) is pain due to malfunction of cranial nerve V (trigeminal nerve) which carries sensory information from the face to the brain and controls the muscles involved in chewing.
The trigeminal nerve, as suggested by its name has three branches: the ophthalmic, the maxillary, and the mandibular. Inflammation cause a sudden attack of spasmodic electric shock-like severe pain that lasts from a few seconds or minutes. The attacks can be triggered by everyday activities such as washing your face, brushing your teeth, eating, or talking. Usually trigeminal neuralgia (TGN) occurs in middle-age and older people, although it can affect adults of all ages, and it is more common among women. The fact that it is usually one-sided is a blessing.
Bell’s Palsy, a somewhat similar ailment is one-sided and affects the facial nerve (CN VII). It also responds very well to treatment with Chinese medicine and acupuncture.
In Western medicine TGN is considered idiopathic (cause unknown) although is some cases it is attributed to nerve damage from multiple sclerosis, herpes zoster or compression by a tumor.
According to Chinese medicine TGN is caused by an attack of external Wind and Heat which obstructs the flow of Qi and Blood in the meridians. There other potential combinations as well, and after diagnosis, the course of treatment is usually directed at spreading Qi through the meridians in the affected area.
In my twenty-one years of practice I have had excellent results treating trigeminal neuralgia. It can be a very debilitating ailment and to be able to assist people in returning to normalcy in their life is a very satisfying outcome. One of my patients who had been taking maximum dosages of Tegretol, a powerful pain killer expressed his feeling this way:
“A million thanks to Dr. Hardman – I have now gotten my life back. RY”