Trigeminal Neuralgia

Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN) is often regarded as one of the most painful diseases known to man. It is characterized by electric-like shocks to the face and can be unrelenting. The disease itself is not life-threatening but due to the levels of pain, sufferers of this condition will often take their own life, giving the condition the nickname ‘the suicide disease’.

Traditionally TN is treated by analgesics as powerful as morphine and are typically accompanied by anti-depressants. In some instances surgery is performed to cut the sensory portion of the trigeminal nerve and despite sectioning the pain can persist giving credence to the idea that the issue does not in fact lie in the peripheral nerves, but rather in the trigeminal ganglion located in the brain stem.

The brain stem is the portion of your spinal cord that immediately exits the skull and continues down through the first 3 cervical vertebrae. If a misalignment between any of these bones is present, cord distortion and even mechanical pressure can place undue stress on the neurons and their nuclei causing a whole host of issues including TN.

Unfortunately for many people suffering from TN, most medical doctors are unaware of the effectiveness chiropractic has had in alleviating what we believe is the ultimate cause of TN. Analgesics and surgery seek to limit the pain, while our focus is on structural restoration of the spine to as near normal as possible. A wonderful side effect of proper alignment for many people has been the resolution of TN symptomatology.

In Health,

Dr. Burns