Trigeminal neuralgia symptoms

Written by Gao Yi Shen
Neurosurgery
Updated on January 04, 2025
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Regarding the symptoms of trigeminal neuralgia, there is a very typical symptom, which is the issue of trigger points. A trigger point is a specific spot on the face, which varies for each person. Once this spot is touched, it immediately triggers the pain of trigeminal neuralgia. The nature of trigeminal neuralgia pain is often like cutting or stabbing pain, and the duration varies. If the condition is mild, the initial attack may only last a few seconds, but if the condition gradually worsens without significant improvement, the pain can even last for several minutes. This pain significantly impacts patients, sometimes triggering pain during activities such as brushing teeth, rinsing the mouth, or chewing hard food. Early treatment is essential to mitigate this pain.

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Written by Feng Ying Shuai
Traditional Chinese Medicine
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Where to massage for trigeminal neuralgia?

Trigeminal neuralgia is a stubborn and hard-to-treat condition in clinical practice. Sometimes symptoms can be alleviated through massage. Which acupoints should be massaged? For severe eye branch pain, you can massage Jingming, Sibai, Yangbai, and Touwei acupoints. If the pain is in the maxillary branch, you can massage Yingxiang, Quanliao, Xiaguan, and Tinggong acupoints. For severe mandibular branch pain, massage Chengjiang, Dicang, and Jiache acupoints, meaning the massage technique should progress from gentle to firm.

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Written by Jiang Fang Shuai
Neurosurgery
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Is trigeminal neuralgia dangerous?

Trigeminal neuralgia manifests in the regions of the face covered by the distributions of the trigeminal nerve, featuring recurrent, severe pain. The onset of the disorder is sudden and it resolves quickly as well. The pain is usually described as cutting, electric shock-like, burning, or tearing; it is a stubborn, difficult-to-treat pain, colloquially known as the "king of pain" and "the foremost pain in the world," which reflects the extreme level of pain associated with trigeminal neuralgia. Trigeminal neuralgia is generally not fatal, but it inflicts significant harm on the human body, making sufferers feel as if death would be preferable. It causes substantial psychological and physical obstacles and can even trigger the onset of some cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, potentially leading to sudden death. Thus, trigeminal neuralgia is considered a rather dangerous disease.

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Written by Jiang Fang Shuai
Neurosurgery
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Can trigeminal neuralgia be cured completely?

Trigeminal neuralgia manifests as stubborn, intractable pain, but that does not mean we are helpless against it. The treatment of trigeminal neuralgia mainly involves the following aspects. Medication can only relieve symptoms and is not a cure. Radiofrequency ablation can destroy the trigeminal ganglion, but there is also a high probability of recurrence. The principle of Gamma Knife is somewhat similar to radiofrequency ablation, and the possibility of recurrence is also relatively high. Currently, the most effective treatment for a complete cure is surgical treatment, with about 80%-90% of patients with trigeminal neuralgia achieving complete eradication through treatments such as microvascular decompression surgery.

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Written by Chen Yu Fei
Neurosurgery
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Causes of Trigeminal Neuralgia

At present, there is no consensus on the specific causes of trigeminal neuralgia. Most scholars believe that the main cause of trigeminal neuralgia is still due to the presence of a local responsible blood vessel around the trigeminal nerve, which compresses the trigeminal nerve, leading to abnormal discharges of the trigeminal nerve. This results in sudden attacks and sudden stops of severe, knife-like or burning pain, also known as trigeminal neuralgia. In terms of treatment, it mainly involves active drug therapy and some physical therapies, such as massage, manipulation, physiotherapy, and acupuncture. Most patients who experience poor results from conservative treatments can opt for microvascular decompression surgery, which often achieves good therapeutic outcomes.

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Written by Gao Yi Shen
Neurosurgery
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Trigeminal neuralgia prodrome

Trigeminal neuralgia does not have very obvious precursors. This is because trigeminal neuralgia often occurs suddenly, especially with the concept of trigger points. That is to say, once the trigger point is activated, it immediately induces pain without any warning signs. Trigger points vary from person to person, usually located primarily on the cheek. Patients who frequently suffer from trigeminal neuralgia often know these areas. Typically, the pain occurs during activities like brushing teeth with cold water or chewing hard foods such as peanuts or walnuts, triggering severe pain instantly. Thus, in the case of trigeminal neuralgia, there are no precursors, only immediate triggers and immediate pain.