Trigeminal Neuralgia (Facial Nerve Pain)
Trigeminal neuralgia produces some of the most severe pain a person can experience — sudden, electric shock-like bursts of facial pain triggered by everyday activities. Medication management and targeted nerve blocks can meaningfully reduce the frequency and severity of attacks.
What Is Trigeminal Neuralgia?
The trigeminal nerve is the main sensory nerve of the face — responsible for sensation across the forehead, cheek, jaw, teeth, and chin on each side. When this nerve becomes irritated or compressed, it can produce sudden, severe, electric shock-like episodes of facial pain that begin without warning and resolve within seconds to minutes. These attacks can be triggered by chewing, speaking, brushing teeth, a light breeze across the face, or even a gentle touch.
Trigeminal neuralgia is sometimes called tic douloureux — French for “painful tic” — because the severity of the pain often causes an involuntary facial reaction. It is more common in women and in people over 50, though it can occur at any age. The condition tends to follow a relapsing course, with periods of more frequent attacks separated by periods of relative calm.
How We Approach Trigeminal Neuralgia
From an interventional pain management standpoint, our approach centers on medication management — anticonvulsant medications are particularly effective for many patients with trigeminal neuralgia and remain the foundation of treatment. Trigeminal nerve blocks can provide meaningful relief during pain flares, during periods of dose adjustment, or when medications alone are insufficient.
Surgical options — including microvascular decompression and gamma knife radiosurgery — are performed by neurosurgical and radiation oncology specialists, and we coordinate referrals to those colleagues when surgical evaluation is appropriate. Our role is to ensure you are fully evaluated, well-managed from a medication standpoint, and guided toward the right level of specialist care for your situation.
Common Questions
Schedule a Consultation
Our clinical team will evaluate your facial pain pattern and develop a medication and treatment plan appropriate for your situation — and coordinate surgical referrals when needed.