Does something as simple as brushing your teeth or touching your face cause you severe pain? If so, you could have a condition called trigeminal neuralgia. The pain management professionals at Radiant Pain Relief Centres in the Portland, Oregon, suburb of Tualatin know that conventional treatments don’t always relieve trigeminal neuralgia pain. That’s why they focus on cutting-edge solutions that provide lasting relief. At their office, they office Calmare® Therapeutics’ Scrambler Therapy®, an FDA-cleared treatment for chronic pain.

request an appointment

What is trigeminal neuralgia?

Trigeminal neuralgia is a rare medical condition affecting the trigeminal nerve. This nerve runs from your brain to your face. It controls sensations throughout your face, so any damage or irritation to the trigeminal nerve can lead to excruciating pain.

What makes trigeminal neuralgia unique is that it can cause widespread facial sensitivity. This means that simple acts, like shaving, putting on makeup, or brushing your teeth, can trigger sudden jolts of pain.

What are the symptoms of trigeminal neuralgia?

Trigeminal neuralgia usually affects just one side of the face, but it can affect both sides. Common symptoms of trigeminal neuralgia include:

  • Shocklike pain
  • Sudden, shooting pain
  • Pain when chewing or speaking
  • Aching in the face or jaw
  • Pain that spreads from one area
  • Burning pain

While trigeminal neuralgia does come and go, flare-ups can increase in pain and frequency. Most people with trigeminal neuralgia experience most of their pain in their cheeks, jaw, lips, eyes, forehead, and gums or teeth.

What causes trigeminal neuralgia?

Trigeminal neuralgia usually develops from conditions that affect the myelin sheath that protects your nerves. It’s a common symptom in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Trigeminal neuralgia can also occur if there’s a problem in the connection between the trigeminal nerve and blood vessels.

In some cases, tumors, stroke, or a facial injury can trigger trigeminal neuralgia, particularly in older adults.

What are the treatments for trigeminal neuralgia?

At Radiant Pain Relief Centres, the pain management team has special training in Scrambler Therapy. This innovative treatment is FDA-clear to treat chronic pain, including nerve pain. It’s a noninvasive solution that doesn’t rely on opioids to treat pain conditions.

The Scrambler Therapy device uses cutaneous (skin surface) electro-stimulation to target pain signals in your nerves. The device delivers low-level electrical currents through electrodes attached to your skin, so you never have to worry about surgery or injections.

After placing the electrodes, the technician sends small currents of electric energy into your nerves. This replaces pain information in your nerves with non-pain information. As your treatments continue, your brain begins to recognize these transformed signals as non-pain signals.

How long does Scrambler Therapy for trigeminal neuralgia take?

Most Scrambler Therapy treatment plans require at least one 45-minute session a day for two weeks. You’ll have a two-day break at the end of your first week. Once you’ve completed all your treatments, you should experience lasting pain relief from trigeminal neuralgia.

To find out if Scrambler Therapy for trigeminal neuralgia is right for you, call Radiant Pain Relief Centres today or schedule an appointment online.