How to Cope With Trigeminal Neuralgia

Trigeminal neuralgia is a nerve disorder that causes facial pain. It occurs when the trigeminal cranial nerve is irritated, interrupting sensory and motor functions, such as chewing. The pain is sharp, stabbing or burning and can last from seconds to hours. Simple things can initiate an attack, such as brushing teeth or eating. The ability to cope with trigeminal neuralgia depends on controlling pain many describe as "excruciating."

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Purchase a heat pack--the kind containing rice that can be tossed into your microwave and put to use at a moment's notice. This provides the patient with a terrific moist heat compress that many times can stop an attack in its tracks.
2. Relax in a whirlpool or warm swimming pool or just a warm bath. Although there are no scientific studies to back any assertion of benefit, it has been some patients' experience that warm water can loosen up nerves throughout the body, including the face.
3. Try nontraditional healing modalities such as acupuncture, chiropractic adjustment, hypnosis, meditation, massage or Reiki. Make sure the practitioners understand your disorder.
4. Find a compassionate counselor or support group that specializes in patients dealing with pain issues. Being able to talk about the pain and the toll it takes on one's life is in itself empowering. Plus there's always a new coping skill to be learned.
5. Discuss with your doctor the benefits versus risks of using prescription drugs, including anticonvulsants or antidepressants, which have been reported to provide some relief to some patients. If you have addiction issues, this may not be a safe route of pain relief for you.
6. Talk with your physician about procedures where steroids are injected directly into the trigeminal nerve cluster to provide longer-lasting pain relief. And ask your doctor about various surgeries, such as those that involve removal of certain nerves. These options should be considered as a last resort.

Tips & Warnings

• Online research for information about trigeminal neuralgia reveals plenty of "guides" and "pain creams" being sold by people with spotty credentials. Seek information and advice about this disorder only from respected medical professionals, such as your own doctor.