If you have chronic facial pain, you may benefit from neurosurgical treatment to help treat your symptoms and return to your normal active lifestyle. Symptoms of chronic facial pain include:
- Persistent pain on one side of your face that has been present for more than three months
- Dull ache in your jaw, cheek or eye
- Dental pain
- Deep, squeezing pain in your face or jaw
- Sinus pressure and pain on one side of your face
- Pain in your cheek or ear
These symptoms are similar to trigeminal neuralgia, but differ in their persistent, squeezing quality and the fact that they last for long periods. If you have any of these symptoms, you should see your doctor right away to get an accurate diagnosis and to get started on the right treatment for your condition.
Causes of Chronic Facial Pain
The most common cause of chronic facial pain is irritation of your trigeminal nerve, the 5th cranial nerve. This nerve arises from your brainstem and courses to your face. It provides your brain with sensory information from your jaw, cheek and eye. There are two trigeminal nerves — one on each side of your face. Most often, a neighboring artery near your trigeminal nerve rubs against the nerve, causing your symptoms.
Other problems may cause facial pain, including stroke, tumor, cyst or a neurological condition such as multiple sclerosis. These conditions are rare, but your doctor may perform special tests to rule out these sinister lesions as a cause of your specific pain in your face.
Chronic Facial Pain Treatment: What Works, What Doesn’t?
When you are first diagnosed with chronic facial pain, your doctor may prescribe medication to help control your symptoms. Anti-convulsant or anti-spasmodic medication is typically used. While these drugs can provide short-term relief, they typically do not offer a long-term solution for chronic facial symptoms as they tend to lose their effectiveness over time.
The definitive treatment for facial pain tends to be surgery. There are different surgical procedures that may be used, depending on your specific condition. Your neurosurgeon can explain each procedure to you.
Microvascular decompression surgery is the most effective procedure for chronic facial pain. During this operation, a small incision is made behind your ear, and your trigeminal nerve is visualized by removing a tiny portion of your skull. Once your doctor can see the nerve, a small Teflon pad is placed between your trigeminal nerve and its neighboring artery to take pressure off the nerve.
Microvascular decompression offers many patients rapid and long-term relief of their chronic facial pain symptoms.
Another surgery available for patients with chronic idiopathic facial pain is Gamma Knife Radiosurgery. During this procedure, multiple beams of radiation are focused upon your trigeminal nerve. These beams slightly damage the nerve, leading to decreased transmissions and lessened pain. This procedure may also be used to shrink a tumor that may be pressing upon your nerve.
Patients typically experience a gradual decrease in symptoms after Gamma Knife Radiosurgery. Symptom abatement tends to be long lasting. One benefit of Gamma Knife Radiosurgery is that no incision is actually made into your brain, minimizing trauma to the tissues around your trigeminal nerve.
Some patients benefit from a procedure called a percutaneous rhizotomy to treat their chronic facial symptoms. During this procedure, your neurosurgeon uses a needle to thread a small electrode near your trigeminal nerve. Then, the electrode is used to cauterize the nerve, decreasing nerve transmissions and pain. One benefit of percutaneous rhizotomy is that it can be repeated if necessary to help eliminate your chronic facial symptoms.
A pain stimulator implant may be of benefit for patients suffering from chronic facial pain. This procedure involves implanting a permanent electrical stimulation wire near your trigeminal nerve. The stimulation is used to decrease the pain that you are feeling in your face. Most patients are able to replace their painful sensations with a slight tingling sensation. The downside of pain stimulator implant is that it requires occasional maintenance and monitoring by the stimulator specialist.
Since there are many different treatments for chronic facial pain, you need to work closely with a neurosurgeon to ensure that you get the best treatment for your specific condition.
Find the Right Neurosurgeon for Your Chronic Facial Pain Treatment
Your neurosurgeon should be a caring and compassionate professional who can treat facial pain effectively and who is a respected leader in their profession. Finding this doctor may be challenging, but the overall benefit of working with a leader in the field can help you have a positive outcome with your facial pain treatment.
Some ways to find a top-rated NJ neurosurgeon for your facial pain include:
- Ask your doctor for a referral
- Ask family members and friends about their facial pain treatment
- Search online for NJ neurosurgeons who have positive reviews
- Meet with several neurosurgeons who treat facial pain
When meeting with a prospective neurosurgeon, ask a lot of questions about your chronic facial pain treatment. He or she should take the time to respectfully answer your question and explain to you the various treatments available for your condition. You should feel like you and your doctor are working together to have the best outcome for your pain.
If you have chronic facial pain, you should take the time to learn about and understand the various treatments that are available for you. Working with a top-rated neurosurgeon can help you have the right treatment that gives you maximal long term relief. That way, you can get rid of your facial pain and get back to your normal activity and lifestyle.
