Facial Pain Specialist

What causes facial pain?

Facial pain develops from conditions that pinch or damage nerves, such as:

Trigeminal neuralgia

The trigeminal nerves control sensations in your face, including your lips and gums. Trigeminal neuralgia develops when a blood vessel at the base of your brain pinches the nerve.

Trigeminal neuralgia causes sharp, excruciating pain that travels along the nerve and affects one side of your face. You have severe pain attacks that go in cycles, with periods of frequent attacks alternating with periods of remission.

Your pain attacks occur due to triggers such as touching your skin, washing your face, shaving, brushing your teeth, and blowing your nose. Even a light breeze or smiling and talking may trigger the pain.

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder

The temporomandibular joints connect your skull to your lower jaw. TMJ disorder occurs when you have a problem in one or both joints, and though it typically causes jaw and neck pain, the condition can damage facial nerves. The nerve injury then leads to facial pain.

Cervicogenic headaches

Cervicogenic headaches begin with a problem in your cervical spine (neck); the condition in your neck then affects nerves that cause facial pain.

What other symptoms accompany facial pain?

You may only have one issue — facial pain; however, many people have additional symptoms associated with it. Depending on the underlying cause of your facial pain, you may experience:

• Recurrent headaches
• Pain in and around your ear
• Ringing in your ears
• Jaw pain and aching
• Jaw locking
• Changes in hearing
• Dizziness

You might also develop uncontrollable facial muscle twitching.

How is facial pain treated?

The pain specialists at Johnston Pain Management, P.A., offer a range of treatments that effectively treat facial pain, including:

Medications

The first line of treatment typically includes medications such as anticonvulsants and antispasmodic agents.

Interventional treatments

Interventional treatments target the nerves responsible for your facial pain. A few examples include:

• Trigeminal nerve block
• Occipital nerve block
• Medial branch block
• Corticosteroid injections
• Sphenopalatine ganglion radiofrequency ablation

Nerve blocks and radiofrequency ablation stop pain signals from going through the nerve to your brain. As a result, you get relief from your symptoms. Corticosteroid injections ease your pain by reducing inflammation in nerves, facet joints, and muscles.

Psychological support

People living with ongoing facial pain often become isolated and develop depression and anxiety. The team at Johnston Pain Management, P.A., includes psychologists with experience helping patients learn to cope with the mental health challenges caused by facial pain.

If you need relief from facial pain, call Johnston Pain Management, P.A., or book an appointment online today.