How Painful is Trigeminal Neuralgia?

February 27, 2022

NUCCA chiropractic

People suffering from trigeminal neuralgia experience extreme pain and suffering in the face even from the most mundane and menial tasks. This condition is also described as the “most excruciating pain known to man.”

Can you imagine dealing with severe debilitating facial pain triggered by the simplest, everyday activities? Luckily there are safe and effective trigeminal neuralgia treatments to help you manage the pain and symptoms. You can also consult with a licensed chiropractor to calm down trigeminal neuralgia using natural methods.

This painful condition is also called “tic douloureux,” French for “painful tic or twitch.” It might come as a surprise, but upper cervical chiropractic is one of the most effective all-natural trigeminal neuralgia treatments worth considering.

 

Common Pain Triggers of Trigeminal Neuralgia

The sudden twitch in the face can sometimes feel like a jolt of electricity with a sharp stab or shooting type of pain. The pain attacks can last for only a few seconds or minutes. You can also feel pain in the gums, teeth, or jaw, and even the slightest touch on the face or head can lead to a terrible amount of pain.

If you have super low pain tolerance, you would want to brace yourself from these common trigeminal neuralgia triggers:

Cold breeze or air conditioning

If you live in places where there’s winter, or you use air conditioning often, you may experience facial pain or flare-ups. This is because the cold air or wind causes those painful facial sensations, making cold seasons more difficult for patients.

Chewing food

A person needs to eat, but what if it brings more pain than you want? This is probably one of the most cry-worthy triggers of trigeminal neuralgia. One end of the trigeminal nerve is near the jaw; its tenderness can be affected when you chew. When chewing brings more discomfort than pleasure, knowing how to calm down trigeminal neuralgia is probably your next best step.

Shaving

Your trigeminal nerve also has an ending located near the cheeks, and shaving your facial hair, especially for men, may be more painful than you could imagine.

Brushing one’s teeth

Toothbrushing is yet another necessary and basic routine of humankind, but it can bring excruciating pain to your face, and no, it’s not because of any dental problem.

Sudden head movements

When you move, especially those abrupt movements, it may compress your trigeminal nerve and trigger pain.

Kissing

This is a beautiful gesture, but those suffering from trigeminal neuralgia may end up just choosing to skip kissing altogether. This is painful, both physically and emotionally!

Swallowing

Swallowing is very much a trigger as chewing. Any slight movement that will affect any muscle, joint, or vein in your face can be super painful. It can prompt nutrition problems too, as your food intake will be affected.

Talking

Talking is in our nature, but the pain brought by trigeminal neuralgia? Unnatural, and it can get really painful too! Seek an expert’s advice for safe and effective trigeminal neuralgia treatments as soon as you experience symptoms such as this one.

Walking

Even walking can bring that sharp, stabbing, painful twitch to your face, which can easily ruin your day.

Activities that cause movement or vibrations 

Riding a car or other similar activities may cause some of your facial muscles to shake, triggering pain in your trigeminal vein.

how to calm down trigeminal neuralgia

 

 

 

 

 

Simple Home Remedies for Trigeminal Neuralgia 

How to calm down trigeminal neuralgia without having to take tons of pills and pain relievers? We listed some home remedies you can try below:

Hot and Cold Compress

A hot or cold compress may provide temporary relief when you feel pain on your face or head. The heat can help relax your tense muscles in the face that adds pressure on the nerves inside the head. Meanwhile, a cold compress helps reduce inflammation that puts pressure on the sensitive nerves in the face and head.

Gentle Pressure

Yes, even the slightest touch on the face or head can cause pain, and while this may sound like the opposite, applying gentle pressure on the cheeks, forehead, and parts of the jaw can somehow relieve the pain. So, you can try experimenting on the area where you can apply gentle pressure to help reduce your nerve pain. 

Peppermint

Peppermint is known to have anti-pain and anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, when applied topically, its cooling effect can help ease muscle tension and a variety of head and body aches.

Ginger 

Ginger has anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties when used as an herbal remedy to different kinds of pain, including trigeminal neuralgia. Use ginger-infused oil or liniments when there’s an onset of pain from trigeminal neuralgia.

Vitamin B12 supplements

Taking vitamin B12 supplements may help with pain relief. However, people with Vitamin B12 deficiency are prone to degeneration of protective sheaths that cover our nerves. Once these nerves become unprotected, they are more susceptible to injury and inflammation-causing severe pain.

 

How to Calm Down Trigeminal Neuralgia? Upper Cervical Chiropractic May Be the Answer

Apart from the home remedies we mentioned above, upper cervical chiropractic is another natural and effective remedy for pain relief for trigeminal neuralgia. Your licensed chiropractor will use a safe and gentle technique to bring back the functional alignment of your upper cervical area, enabling your brain and body to communicate without disruption again.

When your upper cervical spine sustains an injury, inflammation, or misalignment, this can result in pain and health problems, including trigeminal neuralgia. Many cases of people with trigeminal neuralgia have suffered from a car accident, sports injury, or other traumatic incidents affecting the head area. Unfortunately, these events can cause the displacements of your C1 or C2 vertebra or the two major bones in the neck, and can irritate or compress the nerves causing sensitivities and pain.

Before making any adjustments, your licensed chiropractor will assess your complete medical or health history, including a thorough examination to map out your trigeminal neuralgia treatments. They may also request laboratory tests such as an x-ray examination or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) to see the extent of your condition. For some, neurological testing may also be necessary to assess further their condition involving their nervous system.

After all the analysis and consultation, your adjustments will commence. The precise and gentle adjustments will significantly reduce your pain and symptoms and restore proper alignment of your displaced vertebra.

Consult a Licensed Chiropractor Near You

Sometimes these painful facial tics and other health problems can make you feel that pain and discomfort will never end. But with proper trigeminal neuralgia care and the correct course of action, life will feel much better.

If you’re looking for the best care for your trigeminal neuralgia, check out the Upper Cervical Awareness directory for a list of upper cervical chiropractic offices near you.

 

Find An Upper Cervical Doctor in Your Areato schedule a consultation today.

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