Facts:

Trigeminal neuralgia is a debilitating ailment and is considered to be one of the most painful conditions patients can experience.  It is a disorder of the V cranial nerve.   More than one of the nerve branches can be affected which means different areas of the face can be affected such as lips, eyes, nose, scalp, forehead, jaw.  The sensation can be that of pain, burning, as well as stabbing-type pain.  The pain can last a few seconds to a few hours.  The patient who experiences trigeminal neuralgia is often incapacitated with this debilitating pain and many times cannot eat, drink, touch their face, and even the wind can cause pain on their face.  

The most common cause of trigeminal neuralgia is a blood vessel pressing on the nerve near the brain stem. Often patients go to their dentists believing the pain they are experiencing is as a result of a toothache.  Other patients go to a neurologist and medications are prescribed to help ease the symptoms.  Unfortunately some patients simply cannot tolerate the side effects of medications or the medications have lost their efficacy.  

Treatment Options:

Dr. Swaid Swaid has treated over 3,000 patients with trigeminal neuralgia offering two different treatment options:

• CyberKnife (click here for more information)
• Open surgery in which Dr. Swaid performs surgery and cuts the Vth cranial nerve thus giving immediate relief to the patient (microvascular decompression).

If you or someone you know is experiencing the painful effects of trigeminal neuralgia, call our office today and schedule an evaluation with Dr. Swaid.