TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA

TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA IS A CHRONIC PAIN CONDITION THAT CAUSES INTENSE PAIN, SIMILAR TO AN ELECTRIC SHOCK, ON ONE SIDE OF THE FACE. HERE ARE A FEW WAYS TO MANAGE THE CONDITION

Trigeminal neuralgia affects the trigeminal nerve, which carries signals from the face to the brain. Even light touch from brushing your teeth or putting on makeup may trigger a jolt of pain. Trigeminal neuralgia can be long-lasting. Dental issues such as decays, cavities, and mouth ulcers can lead to sharp aches that somewhat resemble trigeminal neuralgia pains. However, dental pain frequently goes away immediately after eating cold foods, like ice cream, whereas cold foods frequently make trigeminal neuralgia pain worse.

People with trigeminal neuralgia may at first experience short, mild episodes of pain. But the condition can get worse, causing longer periods of pain that happen more often. It's more common in women and people older than 50 years.

Trigeminal neuralgia, however, doesn't mean living a life of pain. It usually can be managed with treatment.

Symptoms

 Trigeminal neuralgia symptoms may in

clude one or more of these patterns:

 Episodes of intense shooting or jabbing

pain that may feel like an electric shock.

 Sudden episodes of pain or pain triggered by touching the face, chewing, speaking or brushing your teeth.

 Episodes of pain lasting from a few seconds

to several minutes.

 Pain that occurs with facial spasms.

 Episodes of pain lasting days, weeks, months or longer. Some people have periods when they experience no pain.

 Pain in areas supplied by the trigeminal nerve. These areas include the cheek, jaw, teeth, gums or lips. Less often, the eye and forehead may be affected.

 Pain on one side of the face at a time.

 Pain focused in one spot. Or the pain may

be spread in a wider pattern.  

Triggers

         

Pain that rarely occurs while sleeping. Episodes of pain that become more frequent and intense over time.

Shaving

Touching your face

Eating

Drinking

Brushing your teeth

Talking

Putting on makeup

A light breeze blowing over your face Smiling

Washing your face

Desensitisation Exercises

Desensitisation exercises are a way to retrain the skin and superficial tissues when there is hypersensitivity. For example, cotton wool can be stroked on the painful area for a minute a day, progressing to several times a day, as the skin and tissue adapts to the increased strength of the stimulus. After a while, the cotton wool can be replaced by a cotton cloth and eventually rougher fibres can be used.

Neck exercises

Try neck exercises for trigeminal neuralgia— Stress is another typical trigger for trigeminal neuralgia. When a person is stressed, they might experience muscle tightening and unconsciously grind their teeth, leading to trigeminal neuralgia pains. Doing neck exercises, such as stretching slowly while taking deep breaths and doing the following motions:

 tilting your head from side to side

 bringing your head forward

 rotating your head from side to side

It is important to make sure you let your shoulders relax when doing these types of neck exercises. These can help loosen these muscles, giving your face some relief.

Yoga for relief

From meditation to certain yoga postures can be helpful to relieve pain associated with trigeminal neuralgia.

Mindfulness meditation - a central aspect of yoga, can help one become more aware of their body and pain sensations, potentially aiding in better pain management.

Child’s Pose (Balasana) - The child’s Pose is a gentle resting pose that helps release tension in the back, shoulders, and neck. It promotes relaxation and can provide relief from facial pain associated with Trigeminal Neuralgia.

Cat-cow Pose (Marjaryasana-bitilasana) – The Cat-cow Pose is a dynamic movement that involves alternating between arching the back (cat pose) and extending it (cow pose). This practice helps increase spinal flexibility and releases tension in the neck and upper back.