Face pain, or trigeminal neuralgia, is usually caused by a nerve disorder that creates electric-shock-like pain throughout the lower face and jaw, and/or anywhere near the nose, ears, eyes or lips. Patients suffering from this condition usually describe the pain as “intense” or “burning.” According to Medical News Today, roughly 45,000 people in the U.S. and one million people worldwide have trigeminal neuralgia. Additionally, this chronic condition is twice as common in women and rarely affects people under the age of 40.
The pain management physicians at Southwest Spine and Pain Center provide a plethora of therapies to treat neuropathy pain. If you’re experiencing intense facial pain, or are enduring other chronic pain-like symptoms, consider seeing a Southwest Spine and Pain Center physician to address your pain questions and concerns.
The “trigeminal” nerve is a cranial nerve consisting of motor fibers that stimulate the muscles along the jaw, which are responsible for chewing, and the sensory fibers, which send signals/pulses from the face to the brain. “Neuralgia” is a medical term for intense pain that reverberates along the course of a nerve. This kind of pain usually occurs after a the neurological structure or function of a nerve has been changed. For the sake of this article, the trigeminal nerve has become either damaged or changed.
Unfortunately, there is little known about what causes face pain, but some physicians and researchers believe blood vessels that put pressure on the root of the trigeminal nerve are to blame. A tumor, physical damage and/or symptoms associated with multiple sclerosis may also be the cause. Nevertheless, symptoms of this condition could include:
- Intense pain that affects one or both sides of the face.
- Pain that feels like electric shocks and can be described as “shooting,” “jabbing,” “searing” or “burning”
- Pain that may be trigged by chewing, speaking, brushing teeth or being touched
- Pain that lasts anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes
- Feelings of tingling or numbness before pain begins
Treatment for face pain may require medications like anticonvulsants and muscle-relaxing agents, injections to numb the affected areas and provide relief, and/or surgery. If you’re living with face pain, there are a few things you can do in order to prevent attacks or pain “episodes”: eating soft foods, using cotton pads to wash your face or apply lotion, drinking lukewarm beverages, rinsing your mouth with water instead of brushing them after meals, but gently brushing teeth at night, etc.
If chronic pain is impacting your life, don't wait to schedule an appointment at Southwest Spine and Pain Center. With three locations and growing, the pain management specialists at Southwest Spine and Pain Center are dedicated to helping those who suffer from chronic pain live the life they want to! To schedule an appointment, visit our locations tab!
The advice and information contained in this article is for educational purposes only, and is not intended to replace or counter a physician’s advice or judgment. Please always consult your physician before taking any advice learned here or in any other educational medical material.
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