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Trigeminal neuralgia, also known as tic douloureux, is a condition that causes intense facial pain. It occurs when one of your large cranial nerves (trigeminal nerve) is damaged by an injury, surgery or medical condition.
Even though trigeminal nerve pain can be severe, it can also be treated. At Valley, our neurologists offer nonsurgical and surgical treatment options — including minimally invasive options like Gamma Knife radiosurgery.
Watch: Valley neurosurgeons explain why Gamma Knife can be an ideal treatment option for many people with trigeminal neuralgia.
Anyone can develop trigeminal neuralgia. However, it usually occurs in people over 50 and affects more women than men.
With trigeminal neuralgia, you may experience a stabbing or shock-like feeling in your jaw, teeth, lips, gums or cheek. This pain is often described as an electric shock. It can be triggered by any type of facial stimulation, including:
Most people have Type 1 or “classic” trigeminal neuralgia. This means you have episodes of sudden, severe pain that come and go. As your condition worsens these episodes may occur more frequently, with each attack lasting for longer periods of time.
Some people develop Type 2 or “atypical” trigeminal neuralgia. With this type of pain, in addition to the shocks or stabs, you also experience a constant, burning pain that doesn’t go away.
Because trigeminal neuralgia is relatively rare — and there isn’t a single, definitive test for it — it’s easy to misdiagnose. Fortunately, Valley’s team has experience identifying this condition. Our doctors are skilled at distinguishing your symptoms from other conditions that cause chronic pain — and making sure you get the right treatments, right away.
To confirm whether you have trigeminal neuralgia, your brain surgeon will perform (or order) one or more of the following:
At Valley, we understand how chronic pain can affect every aspect of your life. Our goal is to help you find relief with the fewest possible side effects.
Your personalized treatment plan is based on several factors, including:
We offer several treatments you might need for trigeminal neuralgia, including advanced minimally invasive options.
Oral medications are the first course of treatment for trigeminal neuralgia. Options include:
Because trigeminal neuralgia can get worse over time, your medication may eventually lose its effectiveness. If this happens — or your medication causes unpleasant side effects — we may recommend a different one. Or we may recommend another treatment approach, such as Gamma Knife radiosurgery.
Gamma Knife is an advanced form of radiation given in 1-5 sessions that can reduce or eliminate trigeminal neuralgia pain.
During this procedure, we send targeted, high-dose beams of radiation (Gamma rays) to your trigeminal nerve root. The radiation partially damages the nerve, preventing it from sending pain signals to your brain.
For some people with trigeminal neuralgia, surgery offers the best chance of long-term relief. Our experienced neurosurgeons offer surgical approaches, including:
