At Georgia Brain & Spine Center
Trigeminal neuralgia is a type of nerve pain caused by inflammation or compression of your trigeminal nerve – the nerve that supplies sensation to the face. This condition can cause episodes of severe, sudden, shock-like pain on one side of the face that lasts for seconds or minutes at a time. Episodes can occur spontaneously or they may be triggered by touching parts of your face. Glossopharyngeal neuralgia is a similar condition caused by inflammation of your glossopharyngeal nerve – the nerve that supplies sensation to the base of the tongue and throat. Episodes of pain can be triggered by swallowing, chewing, and talking.
Trigeminal and Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia Treatment
The diagnosis of trigeminal or glossopharyngeal neuralgia is made based on physical exam and imaging studies. Medications are the first choice for treatment as anti-seizure medications and muscle relaxants can block the pain signals from the affected nerve. If medications do not provide the results you need, we may recommend one of several surgical options. During one surgery, called a percutaneous radiofrequency rhizotomy, we use a needle to disable part of the nerve. Other options include a surgical procedure called microvascular decompression or stereotactic radiosurgery.