Trigeminal Neuralgia is a condition that can result in constant and repeated episodes of severe sudden facial pain. It affects the Trigeminal Nerve located near the brain which carries sensations from your face to the brain.
Even daily activities like brushing teeth, putting on makeup, even eating and drinking can trigger a jolt of excruciating pain.
Over time, episodes can last longer in duration and become more frequent. It’s most common in women and people over age 50.
Common Symptoms of Trigeminal Neuralgia
Trigeminal Neuralgia symptoms can vary but most patients experience at least one of the following:
- Severe, shooting or jabbing pain that may feel like an electric shock
- Pain caused by touching the face, chewing, speaking or brushing teeth
- Painful facial shocks lasting a few seconds or minutes
- Constant mild to severe aching, a burning sensation that evolves into a spasm-like pain attack
- People with Trigeminal Neuralgia may also experience pain in the cheek, jaw, teeth, gums, lips, eyes, and forehead. They may feel pain affecting one side of the face at a time, though some people can feel pain on the whole face. Attacks tend to become more frequent and intense over time with attacks lasting days, weeks, months, or longer.
Traditional Medications for Trigeminal Neuralgia
There are several treatment options for Trigeminal Neuralgia including medications, injections, and surgery however most patients say they merely dull the pain.
To start most patients are prescribed anti-convulsants. These medications are designed to block pain signals to the brain however most patients complain that the drugs make them feel confused, drowsy, nauseous, dizzy, dopey, and even unable to function.
After a time, many patients also end up building a tolerance for these drugs resulting in bigger and bigger doses.
Some try Botox injections to reduce the pain. If none of these treatment options work surgery may be recommended but it’s a last resort, is invasive and the success rate is about 50%.
For other unlucky patients, the pain returns.
A Revolutionary Trigeminal Neuralgia Treatment
Surgery to remove a brain tumor triggered Jeff Rodriguez’s Trigeminal Neuralgia. The pain was horrific and unfortunately, the pain medications prescribed were so debilitating he lost everything, including his job, his wife, and his home lost his job and his love for life. He began searching for a solution.
Debbie Kattan also suffered severe Trigeminal Neuralgia and was given pain medications which knocked her out so badly she couldn’t get out of bed.
Desperate for help they both began searching for another solution and discovered CyberKnife Radiation Therapy is offered at the CyberKnife Center of Miami.
CyberKnife, also known as Stereotactic Radiosurgery delivers high doses of radiation beams with pinpoint accuracy to the Trigeminal Nerve desensitizing it.
It often takes only one CyberKnife treatment for the pain to diminish or completely go away.
The procedure is non-invasive, requires no anesthesia or recovery time, and only takes about 45 minutes.
Once the treatment is over patients go about their daily activities. CyberKnife has a success rate of about 75-to-85% with less than a 1% chance of side effects.
To find out if CyberKnife technology can help ease your pain talk to our Trigeminal Neuralgia experts at the CyberKnife Center of Miami and go to our website now to learn more www.cyberknifemiami.com or call our office at 305-279-2900.