Face Pain
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Face pain is a chronic pain that often feels like an intense electric shock.
Facial pain resulting from Trigeminal Neuralgia is on ongoing pain condition affecting specific nerves in your face. You may feel pain from your forehead to your jaw, although the pain is generally only on one side of your face. The pain associated with Trigeminal Neuralgia can often feel as though it came out of nowhere, leading many people to believe they have an abscessed tooth or other tooth problem.The pain can be nearly unbearable—described by some as a searing, electric-shock pain. As many as one in every 15,000 people suffers from facial pain, or about one million people across the globe.
Symptoms and Causes of Trigeminal Neuralgia Face Pain
Although experts are unsure of the cause of face pain related to Trigeminal Neuralgia, pressure on the trigeminal nerve could be caused by multiple sclerosis or a tumor. Other suspected causes include:
- Physical damage to the nerve resulting from an injury, a dental procedure or an infection
- A blood vessel pressing on the root of the trigeminal nerve
- Genetics—About 4.1 percent of those with Trigeminal Neuralgia on one side of their face, and 17 percent of those with Trigeminal Neuralgia on both sides of the face have close relatives with the same disorder
The symptoms associated with facial pain caused by Trigeminal Neuralgia, include:
- Episodes of jabbing, searing or shooting pain which is likened to electric shocks
- Intermittent “twinges” of pain in the beginning
- Pain caused by brushing teeth, chewing, touching the face or speaking
- Spasms of pain lasting up to a couple of minutes
- Episodes of pain which can last for days, weeks or months, alternating with periods of no pain
- Pain on only one side of the face, or less commonly, pain on both sides of the face
- Pain in the forehead area, the jawline, the cheek area, the teeth, gums or lips
- Attacks of pain which increase in intensity over time, and occur more often
- Tingling or numbness in the face prior to the development of more severe pain
Diagnosing Facial Pain Caused by Trigeminal Neuralgia
A neurological exam allows your healthcare provider to test your reflexes to determine whether you have a compressed nerve in your face. An MRI may be indicated to rule out other medical problems such as multiple sclerosis or a tumor.
Treatment for Face Pain Caused by Trigeminal Neuralgia
The interventional pain management specialists at Seattle Pain will evaluate your face pain, developing a comprehensive pain treatment program on your behalf. At Seattle Pain we strive to combine traditional and non-traditional treatments, including:
- Muscle relaxants
- Nerve blocks
Are you suffering from face pain?
Contact Our Seattle Interventional Pain Management Specialists
We understand that face pain can be excruciating. At Seattle Pain, our primary goal is to relieve your pain and improve your quality of life. We believe in treating the whole patient – and not just the injury. You do not have to live in pain.
