Neuralgia, trigeminal (nu-ral’ji-a) [Gr. neuron, sinew, + algos, pain] is a severe sharp pain along the course of the fifth cranial nerve. Attacks are often precipitated by initiation of pain by obvious stimuli of certain hypersensitive areas of face lips, or tongue.
Mayoclinic.org lists the symptoms as follows:
- Episodes of severe, shooting or jabbing pain that may feel like an electric shock
- Spontaneous attacks of pain or attacks triggered by things such as touching the face, chewing, speaking or brushing teeth
- Bouts of pain lasting from a few seconds to several minutes
- Episodes of several attacks lasting days, weeks, months or longer — some people have periods when they experience no pain
- Constant aching, burning feeling that may occur before it evolves into the spasm-like pain of trigeminal neuralgia
- Pain in areas supplied by the trigeminal nerve, including the cheek, jaw, teeth, gums, lips, or less often the eye and forehead
- Pain affecting one side of the face at a time though may rarely affect both sides of the face
- Pain focused in one spot or spread in a wider pattern
- Attacks that become more frequent and intense over time
Two years ago Roberta began experiencing excruciating electrical shock-like pain in her face that would literally stop her no matter where she was or what she was doing. She found that everyday activities such as talking, washing her face, eating, moving the head quickly or brushing her teeth could trigger the excruciating pain that lasted anywhere from minutes to hours. A neurologist diagnosed her as having trigeminal neuralgia and prescribed Neurontin. Although the medication did diminish the frequency of her attacks, Roberta still had periods when the agonizing pain would return. As do most chronic pain sufferers Roberta “has learned to live with it”.
After just four days of starting treatment with a homeopathic remedy, acupuncture, and frequency specific microcurrent, Roberta’s symptoms were reduced by 80%. In her words,” I wanted to kill myself — that is how bad it was. It is like a miracle so far.”
It is almost a year since Roberta was treated and she is symptom-free and off the Neurontin.