Neurosurgeon Dr Arun L Naik discusses 'What is the Treatment For Trigeminal Neuralgia?' in this video. Trigeminal neuralgia is a painful condition of the half face caused by compression of trigeminal nerve. The pain is associated with tingling numbness of the half face. Pain comes in cycles and is often unbearable. Trigeminal neuralgia causes are vascular loop, brain tumors and multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis causes trigeminal neuralgia. Trigeminal nerve pain is severe and not relieved easily. Trigeminal neuralgia pain relief is by medications, injections and surgery. MVD procedure for trigeminal neuralgia is highly successful. Injection for trigeminal neuralgia can be useful. Medications for trigeminal neuralgia are to be taken lifelong. Trigeminal neuralgia and MS association is strong. Gabapentin for trigeminal neuralgia can be tried. Carbamazepine is the first line of therapy.
What is trigeminal neuralgia
Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a chronic painful condition where there will be excruciating pricking type of pain in the face, mostly on  one side of the face. This is also called facial pain or jaw pain. Actually this involves, trigeminal nerve fifth  cranial nerve which supplies sensation to our half face, hence the  name. This is a neuralgic pain, means nerve compression pain hence it will be very severe and intolerable.
The pain can be brought on by mild stimulation of the face, such as brushing your teeth, putting a make up or shaving. It’s often described as feeling like electric shocks or stabbing type of pain. Initially it will be short, mild type of pain, but over time they may experience longer, more frequent attacks of intense pain often unbearable.
What are the causes for TN: Commonest cause of TN is due to one of the arteries inside the brain loops over the trigeminal nerve. Sometimes I also see a tumor that putting pressure on the nerve causing trigeminal neuralgia. Rarely, multiple sclerosis, a well known disease which damages the myelin sheath, causes trigeminal neuralgia.
How is trigeminal neuralgia diagnosed? Diagnosis is by neurological examination.
What is the treatment for trigeminal neuralgia
First line of Treatment as always in my practice is medications. There are many medications used in TN. Commonest is some kind of anitconvulsant medications, same medications used for treatment of seizures.
There are some excellent surgical procedures are available for patients with TN. 
1.Glycerol Injections:
2. Stereotactic Radiosurgery:  This is a scalpel less, pain less and blood less procedure even if it is called a surgery. Radiosurgery. Here I use highly advanced radiation platform called TrueBEam system to deliver high energy radiation beam precisely to the root of the TN ganglion in the skull base.
3.Radiofrequency or RF Lesioning: I do this outpatient procedure under heavy sedation.
4.    Microvascular Decompression: MVD procedure is my favourite surgical procedure. In those patients who have a blood vessel compressing their trigeminal nerve, this surgery can be done.
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References
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