Trigeminal Neuralgia Treatment

Millions of people suffer from chronic, debilitating pain from which relief is difficult to find. Pain resulting from an accident, trauma, surgery, or a disease, is generally considered a normal part of the body’s natural healing process that subsides once the patient has recovered. For those diagnosed with trigeminal neuropathic pain or trigeminal neuralgia, however, identifying the right treatment to manage their pain can be challenging as available chronic pain treatments are not sufficient for everyone. Florida Mind Health Center offers an innovative, natural pain-management solution using ketamine infusions to help heal those suffering from pain disorders, including trigeminal neuralgia. Learn more about the wide range of conditions treated with ketamine at our clinic.

What Is Trigeminal Neuralgia?

Classic trigeminal neuralgia, type 1 (TN1) — also known as “tic douloureux,” meaning “painful tic” — is characterized by episodic, unilateral, shock-like, chronic pain in the face with pain-free intervals. Trigeminal neuropathic pain causes constant facial pain from the trigeminal nerve that is confined to an area of the mouth or face, of varied intensities, and is unremitting. Neuropathic pain from trigeminal neuralgia is unlike other types of facial pain.

The trigeminal neuralgia pain scale rates pain on a more severe scale than many other pain disorders. While the condition is not life-threatening, the intensity of the pain may be debilitating. Trigeminal neuralgia symptoms are often described as stabbing, piercing, or an electrical sensation so severe that the affected individual cannot eat or drink. It is the most common cause of facial pain, and it’s diagnosed in approximately 15,000 people each year.

It most frequently affects a greater number of women than men, and it typically affects individuals over the age of 50.

What Causes Trigeminal Neuralgia?

The trigeminal nerve is 1 of 12 pairs of nerves attached to the brain. The nerve has three branches that connect the brain to the upper, middle, and lower facial portions. The upper branch provides sensation to most of the scalp, front of the head, and forehead. The middle branch supplies sensation to the cheeks, top lip, teeth and gums, upper jaw, and the side of the nose. The lower branch stimulates the lower jaw, gums, teeth, and bottom lip. Trigeminal neuralgia can affect more than one nerve branch — rarely, both sides of the face are affected at different times, and even more rarely at the same time.

Pain associated with trigeminal neuralgia represents irritation of the nerve. The cause of pain usually is due to contact between a healthy vein or artery and the trigeminal nerve at the base of the brain — this puts pressure on the nerve, causing it to misfire. Trigeminal pain may also result from any of the following.

Unintentional injury to the trigeminal system from facial trauma
Oral surgery

Ear, nose, and throat surgery
Skull base injuries

Other causes of trigeminal neuralgia include pressure of a tumor on the nerve or multiple sclerosis (MS). As the condition typically affects older individuals, development of trigeminal neuropathy pain in young adults may suggest MS.

Trigeminal neuralgia relief is possible — natural ketamine treatments from Florida Mind Health Center can help bring your pain under control.

Ketamine Infusion For Trigeminal Neuropathic Pain

Trigeminal neuropathic pains have historically presented therapeutic and diagnostic challenges to medical providers. While trigeminal neuralgia is the most identifiable and studied trigeminal neuropathic condition, traditional treatments may not be suitable or effective for a wide range of patients, causing further frustration. Traditionally, this condition is treated with trigeminal neuralgia surgery, physical therapy, nerve blocks, and/or medications, including antidepressants, anti-seizure medications, narcotic pain medications, and topical medications. If these treatments prove ineffective or if you seek a natural pain treatment that helps your body naturally restore itself, ketamine infusion may be a promising solution to your pain problem.

Ketamine offers a plethora of benefits for individuals suffering from pain disorders and those with opioid intolerance, acute hyperalgesia, and chronic and neuropathic pain. As a trigeminal neuralgia treatment, ketamine is administered to the patient at a controlled pace by our trained clinicians. As the medication is delivered into the bloodstream, it binds to N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, blocking their ability to communicate with pain-producing regions and restoring critical connections previously harmed by trigeminal neuralgia. What’s more, ketamine treatment can be used in conjunction with other types of treatments, so patients enjoy the benefits of comprehensive and balanced care for their needs.

Ketamine Treatment For Chronic Pain

Our ketamine clinic is Gainesville’s source for ketamine treatment, offering healthy and effective infusions for pain as well as a wide range of mood disorders. Each treatment is individualized to the patient and comprises professional therapies designed to help patients live happier and healthier lives. Contact Florida Mind Health Center today to learn more about our available treatments, including IV therapy, and schedule trigeminal nerve pain treatment.