In some cases, it is often not possible to effectively treat them without prescribed medication. Whilst Nicky Snazell's Pain Relief Clinic provides this information for general purposes, it is always important to consult with the prescribing doctor before taking any medication. When prescribing medication, there are often a number of routes that it is possible to take.
More commonly known as "pain killers" this group of medications works by interrupting the pain signals in the nervous system. This has the effect of blocking the pain and reducing its effects. Some of the common analgesics used include:
Whilst morphine is occasionally prescribed for extreme cases, Paracetamol at full strength is often sufficient for most problems.
Some antidepressants, such as Amitriptyline, can sometimes be used at low doses have been found to help relieve certain types of pain. For example, taken at night, Amitriptyline is used to treat chronic (persistent) pain.
Specific nerve pain symptoms are sometimes treated with Pregabalin.
This group of medications works by reducing the inflammation that is causing the pain. Often, the pain is caused by the inflammation process itself. Some examples of anti-inflammatories are:
Anti-inflammatories are often highly effective when used in combination with analgesics, such as Paracetamol and Ibuprofen.
Some muscle relaxants, such as Diazepam, can be used to help relax muscles which are in spasm. In more severe cases, muscle relaxants such as Botulinum Toxin (Botox) can be injected directly into the muscle to release the spasm.
The trigeminal nerve supplies the lower jaw and teeth and can give short, sharp pains like a hot poker when irritated. The trigeminal nerve is the fifth cranial nerve and its function is to send pain messages to the brain. When the nerve malfunctions, pain messages are sent at inappropriate times and the pains can be of great severity. It can be triggered by chewing, speaking, or even by the wind.
This condition is more common in older people, probably because the arteries supplying the back of the brain where this nerve enters become stretched and may touch the nerve. It is an extremely severe facial pain that tends to come and go unpredictably in sudden shock-like attacks, and whilst treating the area, even light touch is described as being stabbing, shooting, excruciating, or burning. It usually only lasts for a few seconds, but there can be many bursts of pain in quick succession. It is not easy to treat, and I know; I recently eased - not cured - this condition in a delightful gypsy lady who was losing the battle with this unpleasant condition.
Treatment options that may help the symptoms include: Chinese medicine, electro-acupuncture, TENS, Gunn IMS, NLP, relaxing massage, and GP prescribed medicines. As normal painkillers such as Paracetamol are not effective in treating trigeminal neuralgia, you will normally be prescribed an alternative medication, such as an anticonvulsant (usually used to treat epilepsy) to help control your pain.
These medications were not originally designed to treat pain, but they can help relieve nerve pain by slowing down electrical impulses in the nerves and reducing their ability to transmit pain.
Microvascular decompression (MVD) is an operation that can help relieve trigeminal neuralgia pain without intentionally damaging the trigeminal nerve. Instead, the procedure involves relieving the pressure placed on the nerve by blood vessels that are either touching the nerve or wrapped around it. An alternative way to relieve the pain by damaging the trigeminal nerve that doesn't involve inserting anything through the skin is through stereotactic radiosurgery. This is a fairly new treatment that uses a concentrated beam of radiation to deliberately damage the trigeminal nerve where it enters the brainstem.
