If you are feeling pain on one side of your face that is persistent and unremitting, you may be dealing with chronic facial pain, also known as chronic idiopathic facial pain. The pain typically comes on for no apparent reason and lasts more than three months, hence its label of chronic.
Many people mistake chronic facial pain for trigeminal neuralgia, but the relentless symptoms make the condition an entirely different entity.
Symptoms of Chronic Facial Pain
Symptoms of chronic facial pain may include:
- Pain on one side of the face present for greater than three months
- Burning or tingling sensations in your face
- Squeezing or dull jaw, cheek or eye pain
- Pain in your ear or temple
- Facial pain combined with neck and skull pain
The symptoms of chronic facial pain are unrelenting and last for a long period of time. Typical descriptors used for the pain include squeezing, dull, burning, crushing, sharp or electric-like. Sometimes chronic facial pain sufferers feel episodes of sharp, shooting pains with a chronic dull ache underlying them on one side of the face.
Causes of Chronic Facial Pain
There is no single cause of chronic facial pain. Various problems can bring on the symptoms in your face. Symptoms may be caused by different conditions such as:
- Trigeminal nerve irritation
- Tumor
- Sinus infections
- Stroke
- Multiple sclerosis
- Dental problems or temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD)
- Facial trauma
Since there are so many causes of chronic facial pain, you should see your doctor right away so you can get an accurate diagnosis and start on treatment. There is no single diagnostic test for chronic facial pain. Rather, the diagnosis is made largely by ruling out neurological or orthopedic problems and by a careful assessment of your symptoms and their behavior.
Your doctor may order an MRI or CT scan of your brain to rule out a serious neurological condition like a stroke, tumor or multiple sclerosis. An examination by a dental professional can rule out TMD. Once your doctor has made a diagnosis of your facial pain, you can get started on treatment.
Treatment for Chronic Facial Pain
Initial treatment for chronic facial pain includes medication to help decrease your pain. Unfortunately, medicine for the pain tends to lose its effectiveness as your body develops a tolerance for it, so your doctor may have to adjust dosages to adequately treat your symptoms.
Medication for facial pain typically includes anticonvulsant drugs and muscle relaxers. These medicines may have side effects, so be sure to talk to your doctor so you know what to expect with medication.
Many patients with chronic facial pain from compressive lesions or irritation of their trigeminal or facial nerves benefit from surgery for their condition when medication has failed. Working closely with a trusted NJ neurosurgeon can help you get the best surgical treatment for your chronic facial pain.
Surgery for Chronic Facial Pain
There are different surgical procedures that may be used to treat chronic facial pain. These procedures either take pressure off a pinched cranial nerve or slightly damage the nerve to alter painful transmissions through it. Your neurosurgeon can decide on the best surgery for your specific condition.
Surgery for chronic facial pain may include:
- Microvascular decompression surgery. During this procedure, your neurosurgeon will make a small incision behind your ear and remove a tiny portion of your skull to visualize your trigeminal or facial nerve. A small pad is then inserted between the nerve and an artery that is compressing it. This takes pressure off the nerve to help relieve your chronic facial pain.
- Gamma Knife Radiosurgery. During Gamma Knife Radiosurgery, multiple beams of radiation are focused directly on the nerve that may be causing your facial pain. The precise radiation slightly damages the nerve and helps to decrease transmission of painful stimuli through it. If a tumor or cyst is causing your facial pain, the Gamma Knife Radiosurgery procedure can be used to shrink the tumor.
- Percutaneous rhizotomy. Percutaneous rhizotomy involves your surgeon passing a needle through your cheek to an area near your trigeminal or facial nerve. A small electrode is then used to cauterize the nerve, decreasing painful transmissions through it.
- Pain stimulator implant. Some patients with chronic pain benefit from a pain stimulator implant. This device uses electrical stimulation to help decrease the pain that you are feeling.
Performing the right surgery for your specific condition is of utmost importance. Finding a top-rated neurosurgeon who treats facial pain disorders and surgery can help you have the best procedure for your condition.
Find the Best NJ Neurosurgeon for Your Chronic Facial Pain
When chronic facial pain prevents you from enjoying your normal activities, you need to find a trusted NJ neurosurgeon who can help offer the best surgery for your condition. Qualities of top-rated neurosurgeons include:
- Listens to and answers your questions in a professional and respectful manner
- Is a recognized expert in neurosurgical management of facial pain
- Has a staff who treats you with respect and kindness
- Offers you various alternatives to treatment
- Explains to you the risks and benefits associated with each procedure
Most importantly, your neurosurgeon should be a trusted ally in treating your chronic facial pain. You should feel comfortable with the decisions that you make with your doctor and know that he or she is practicing with your best intentions in mind.
If you have chronic facial pain, then you understand how difficult it can be to manage. The persistent and unrelenting pain can limit your ability to focus on work or enjoy your normal activities. Working with a trusted NJ neurosurgeon can help you have a successful treatment with the best possible outcome.
