Where is inflammation of the trigeminal nerve treated. Symptoms and treatment of trigeminal neuralgia - diagnosis and medication

What is trigeminal neuritis?

Of the twelve pairs of cranial nerves, the trigeminal nerve is the fifth in a row. The main function of the trigeminal nerve is to provide sensation in the face. The trigeminal nerves are located on different sides, one on the left, the other on the right. There are three branches from the trigeminal nerve. One branch gives sensitivity to the eye, upper eyelid and forehead skin. The second branch provides sensitivity to the lower eyelid, cheek, nostrils, upper lip and upper. The third branch serves to exercise the sensitivity of the lower jaw, lower lip, gums and some chewing muscles.

The pain that trigeminal neuralgia causes is perhaps one of the most excruciating pains that a person has. As a rule, the pain is localized in the lower face and jaw, but it happens that the pain affects the area around the nose and above the eyes. The pain that occurs with trigeminal neuralgia is so severe that it can be compared to an electric shock. Such severe pain is due to irritation of the trigeminal nerve, from which branches go to the forehead, cheeks and lower jaw. The pain usually manifests itself in one side of the face.

Unfortunately, it is not always possible to completely cure trigeminal neuralgia. However, there are still ways that help to significantly reduce the pain in this disease. First of all, anticonvulsants are used. In cases where drug treatment does not bring relief or severe side effects occur, surgical methods of treatment are used.

Causes of trigeminal neuritis

Trigeminal neuralgia is accompanied by severe pain, as the trigeminal nerve is irritated. As a rule, the cause is the contact of an artery and vein with the trigeminal nerve at the base of the skull. There is compression of the nerve, and this gives severe pain. Other possible causes of trigeminal neuralgia include those that compress the nerve, multiple sclerosis, which leads to the destruction of the myelin sheath of the nerve. In young people, the development of trigeminal neuralgia is usually associated with multiple sclerosis.

Despite the fact that the etiology of the disease is very wide, but, fortunately, it is not realized in all cases.

The main reasons for the development of trigeminal neuritis are:

Transferred viral infection. Almost any virus can cause. But representatives from the family are considered the most important pathogen. In the first place among them is encircling;

Immune dysfunction of the body. Against this background, herpes viruses are able to become more active than in a healthy body;

Hypothermia local and general. Most often, trigeminal neuritis occurs after being in a draft or other effects of low temperatures on one of the halves of the ear and facial areas;

Strong physical overstrain and psycho-emotional shocks that lead to the depletion of the body's defenses;

Poor nutrition, and as a result, immune dysfunction;

Severe infections of any localization, if they proceed for a long time and require aggressive treatment.

The reasons contributing to the onset of an attack of trigeminal neuralgia include:

touching the skin of the face;

washing;

teeth cleaning;

blow to the nose;

light breath of wind;
talk.

Symptoms of trigeminal neuritis

For some people, pain comes on suddenly, for no apparent reason. Other patients, in addition to pain, also note other symptoms of trigeminal neuralgia, for example, pain occurs after, such as a car accident, a blow to the face, or a visit to the dentist. However, doctors, including dentists, believe that, most likely, the pathology developed much earlier, and the stressful situation only served as an impetus for the onset of pain. Since the pain usually begins in the region of the upper or lower jaw, the person mistakenly assumes that the pain is associated with the teeth. A person goes to the doctor for dental treatment, but this does not relieve the pain.

The clinical picture of the disease is quite bright and consists of such sudden symptoms:

The strongest shooting, penetrating pain in the region of one of the halves of the face, which is of a penetrating character;

The distortion of one of the halves or individual parts of the face, and the associated distorted facial expressions (the corner of the mouth, eyes, eyelids are lowered);

Periodic muscle twitching in the region of innervation of the affected nerve;

General hyperthermic reaction of the moderate type;

General weakness, chills, muscle pain throughout the body;

Fatigue and irritability due to severe pain;

Small rash in the area of the affected part of the face.

The most central manifestations of trigeminal neuritis are insanely severe pain in one of the halves of the face, which simply exhausts the patients with the suddenness of its shootings from the ear region to the midline of the head. After its reduction, a distortion of the facial expression is added, which causes a gross cosmetic defect. If the disease acquires a protracted or progressive course, the described changes may remain for life.

Symptoms that accompany trigeminal neuralgia can also occur with other diseases. It can be tendinitis, Ernest's syndrome and occipital neuralgia.

Temporal tendinitis is accompanied by pain in the area of the cheeks and teeth, and the patient is also worried about headache and pain in the neck. When the stylomandibular ligament, which connects the base of the skull to the lower jaw, is damaged, the so-called Ernest syndrome develops. This syndrome is also accompanied by headache and pain in the neck and face. Neuralgia of the occipital nerve is accompanied by pain behind the head, sometimes passing to the face.

Pain in trigeminal neuralgia can be divided into typical and atypical.

Typical pain is characteristic of trigeminal neuralgia, during the course of the disease, it either arises or subsides. The pain is usually shooting, resembling an electric shock, usually arising after touching certain areas of the face.

Atypical pain, as a rule, is constant and captures most of the face. There are no periods of pain relief during the course of the disease. Such neuralgia is much more difficult to treat. Trigeminal neuralgia is classified as a cyclic disease, as periods of exacerbation are replaced by periods of remission. The pains usually last for some time with small intervals between them. Other patients experience pain only once a day. It happens that a person is in pain every hour. The pain starts very abruptly, reaches a maximum in 20 seconds, after which it continues for a certain time.

Treatment

The sooner neuritis is recognized and treatment is started, the higher its effectiveness will be.

It should begin almost from the first day of the disease and includes a set of measures:

Antiviral drugs. Indicated in case of neuritis caused by the herpes virus. The gold standard is acyclovir and its analogues (gerpevir, lavomax);

Painkillers. In connection with a pronounced pain syndrome, not only non-narcotic analgesics (ketanov, dexalgin, ketalgin), but also narcotic drugs (promedol, tramadol, morphine, nalbuphine) are indicated:

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: dicloberl, indomethacin, rheumoxib, movalis, celebrex;

Glucocorticoids. They reduce inflammation and nerve, providing a good effect in a short time. These include methylprednisolone, dexamethasone, hydrocortisone;

Drugs that reduce muscle spasm: midokalm, sirdalud;

Vitamin preparations and neuroprotectors: milgama, thiogama, neurorubin, neurobion, prozerin.

Physiotherapy treatment: UHF, electrophoresis, paraffin-ozocerite, magnetotherapy.

Facial massage for nerve neuritis

The main task of massage for trigeminal neuritis is to relieve increased muscle tension in certain muscle groups and increase tone in those muscle groups that are atonic. This improves microcirculation and blood supply not only in the affected superficial tissues, but also directly in the inflamed nerve. In terms of massage, the first place is the impact on the reflex zones at the exit points of the branches of the trigeminal nerve in the face, ear and neck. After that, you need to work with the skin and muscles.

Massage is carried out in a sitting position, the head leans back on the headrest, so that the neck muscles relax. Start with them with light massaging movements. The focus is on the sternocleidomastoid muscle. After that, they rise up to the parotid regions with rubbing and stroking movements. Then the face is massaged, first the healthy side, and then the affected one. The duration of the procedure is about 15 minutes. The number of sessions per course of treatment is 10-14.

Expert editor: Mochalov Pavel Alexandrovich| MD general practitioner

Education: Moscow Medical Institute. I. M. Sechenov, specialty - "Medicine" in 1991, in 1993 "Occupational diseases", in 1996 "Therapy".

Want to know what the trigeminal nerve is? This is the fifth pair of cranial nerves, which is considered mixed, since it simultaneously contains sensory and motor fibers. The motor part of the branch is responsible for important functions - swallowing, biting and chewing. In addition, the trigeminal nerves (nervus trigeminus) include fibers responsible for providing the tissues of the glands of the face with nerve cells.

Anatomy of the trigeminal nerve in humans

The nerve originates from the trunk of the anterior part of the pons, located next to the middle legs of the cerebellum. It is formed from two roots - a large sensory and a small motor. Both roots from the base are directed to the top of the temporal bone. The motor root, together with the third sensory branch, exits through the foramen ovale and then joins with it. In the cavity at the level of the upper part of the pyramidal bone is the semilunar node. Three main sensory branches of the trigeminal nerve emerge from it. The topography of the nervus trigeminus looks like this:

mandibular branch;
ophthalmic branch;
trigeminal ganglion;
maxillary branch.

With the help of these branches, nerve impulses are transmitted from the skin of the face, the mucous membrane of the mouth, eyelids and nose. The structure of the human semilunar node includes the same cells that are contained in the spinal nodes. Due to its location, its inner part determines the connection with the carotid artery. At the exit from the node, each branch (orbital, maxillary and mandibular) is protected by the dura mater.

Where is

The total number of nuclei of the trigeminal nerve is four (2 sensory and motor). Three of them are located in the back of the brain, and one is in the middle. Two motor branches form a root: next to it, sensory fibers enter the medulla. This is how the sensitive part of the nervus trigeminus is formed. Where is the trigeminal nerve located in humans? Motor and sensory roots create a trunk that penetrates under the hard tissue of the middle cranial fossa. It lies in a recess located at the level of the upper part of the pyramidal temporal bone.

Symptoms of the defeat of the trigeminal nerve

The pain associated with damage to the trigeminal nerve is one of the most painful for a person. As a rule, the lower facial part and jaw hurt, so it may seem to some that the pain is localized in the teeth. Sometimes the pain syndrome develops above the eyes or around the nose. With neuralgia, a person experiences pain that can be compared with an electric shock. This is due to irritation of the trigeminal nerve, the branches of which diverge in the cheeks, forehead, jaw. Diagnosis of the disease may indicate one of the types of lesions of nervus trigeminus: neuralgia, herpes, or pinching.

neuralgia

Inflammation occurs, as a rule, due to the contact of a vein or artery with the nervus trigeminus near the base of the skull. Trigeminal neuralgia can also be a consequence of compression of the nerve by a tumor, which is guaranteed to lead to deformation and destruction of the myelin sheath. Often the appearance of neuralgia in young people is associated with the development of multiple. Symptoms of pathology are:

"shooting" pains in the face;
increased or decreased sensitivity of the face;
attacks of pain begin after chewing, touching the face or oral mucosa, mimic movements;
in extreme cases, paresis occurs (incomplete paralysis of the muscles of the face);
as a rule, soreness manifests itself on one side of the face (depending on the affected part of the nerve).

Pinching

If neuralgia develops against the background of a pinched nerve, pain attacks occur suddenly and last from 2-3 seconds to several hours. It provokes the disease by contraction of the muscles of the face or exposure to cold. A common cause of neuropathy is plastic surgery or damage caused by dentures. For this reason, pinching of the nervus trigeminus is confused with if it is provoked by damage to the second and third branches of the nerve. Symptoms of this pathology are:

intense pain in the lower jaw;
soreness above the eye and at the edge of the nose.

herpes

Trigeminal neuropathy can occur not only due to mechanical damage, but also due to the development of herpes. The disease develops due to the defeat of nervus trigeminus by a special virus - varicella-zoster (zoster, herpes zoster). It is able to affect the skin and mucous membranes of the human body, giving complications to the central nervous system. Signs of neuralgia against the background of zoster are:

herpetic rash on the skin of the face, neck or ear;
the skin has a reddish color, a characteristic edema is noticeable;
bubbles form on the face with a transparent, and later - a cloudy liquid;
the postherpetic state is characterized by drying wounds that heal within 8-10 days.

How to treat the trigeminal nerve on the face

Treatment of inflammation of the trigeminal nerve is primarily aimed at reducing pain. There are several methods of treating neuralgia, the main place among which is given to taking medications. In addition, physiotherapeutic procedures (dynamic currents, ultraphoresis, others) and traditional medicine help to alleviate the patient's condition. How to treat inflammation of the trigeminal nerve?

Medical

Tablets are aimed at stopping pain attacks. When the expected effect is achieved, the dosage is reduced to the minimum and therapy continues for a long time. The most used drugs:

the basis of the treatment of neuralgia is drugs of the PEP group (antipoepileptic);
use anticonvulsants, antispasmodics;
prescribe vitamin B, antidepressants;
Finlepsin proved its high efficiency in the treatment of inflammation of the trigeminal nerve;
doctors specializing in neurology prescribe Baclofen, Lamotrigine.

Folk remedies

For a good result, any recipes are combined with classic treatment. Apply:

Treatment of the trigeminal nerve with fir oil. Soak a cotton pad in ether and rub it into the place where the pain manifests itself as strongly as possible at least 5 times a day. The skin will be slightly swollen and reddened - this is normal. After 4 days the pain will stop.
Egg. How to treat the trigeminal nerve at home? Hard boil 1 chicken egg, cut it warm into 2 halves and attach the inside to the sore spot. When the egg cools, the pain should dull.
Help decoctions of herbs. Grind marshmallow root and chamomile, mix 4 tsp each. herbs and boil in 400 ml of water. Leave the decoction to infuse overnight. Take the infusion in your mouth in the morning and keep it for 5 minutes. In addition, using a decoction, make compresses twice a day, applying them to a sore spot.

Blockade

This is one of the most effective therapeutic methods for neuralgia, which has been proven by numerous studies. The essence of the blockade is the injection of an anesthetic (usually Ledocaine) into the exit site of the inflamed nerve branch. Doctors often use Diprosan blockade, but it is mainly used in case of joint pain. First, trigger points are probed, damaged branches of the nerve are determined. After that, a solution is injected into this place, making 2 injections: intradermal and to the bone.

Microvascular decompression

If it is not possible to cure trigeminal neuritis with drugs, the patient is shown surgical intervention. If there is no other option, the doctor prescribes an operation to remove the nerve using a laser. Its danger lies in the likelihood of side effects, including changes in facial expressions. The main cause of neuralgia is the squeezing of the nerve root by the vessels. The purpose of the operation is to find a vein or artery and separate it from the nerve with a piece of muscle or a Teflon tube. The procedure can take place under local or general anesthesia.

Video: symptoms and treatment of inflammation of the trigeminal nerve

Symptoms of a neuralgic disease (contractions of the facial muscles, attacks of pain) are stopped with painkillers, anticonvulsants and sedatives. As a rule, doctors prescribe a blockade - the introduction of substances directly into the site of nervous inflammation. Taking medications is allowed only after they are prescribed by a doctor and under his supervision, since many drugs lose their effectiveness over time and periodic dosage adjustments are required. After watching the video, you will learn about the treatment of the disease in more detail.

An ordinary person, far from medicine, simply cannot know all the diseases that can be encountered at a certain stage of life. In this article, I want to talk about what trigeminal neuralgia is and how to deal with this problem.

What it is?

At the very beginning, you need to decide on the concepts that you will have to operate in this article.

Neuralgia is a dull burning pain that occurs along the course of the nerve. As often as possible, people are faced not only with trigeminal neuralgia, but also with facial and intercostal neuralgia.
The trigeminal nerve is the most sensitive nerve of the face. Physicians distinguish such branches of the trigeminal nerve:

Branch 1: covers the forehead and everything above the brow ridge.
Branch 2: wing of the nose, upper lip, upper jaw.
Branch 3: lower jaw, lower lip and chin.

The reasons

What causes pain that a person experiences when this nerve is inflamed? This occurs when an artery with a nerve and a vein touch at the base of the skull, causing irritation. Why can the trigeminal nerve become inflamed? The reasons may be as follows:

The nerve can be squeezed by improperly located vessels of the brain.
Problems with blood circulation in the vessels of the brain.
brain tumors.
Hypothermia of the face, head.
Infection of certain areas of the face. The trigeminal nerve can be irritated by constant sinusitis, and even caries.
Multiple sclerosis. Since in this disease, nerve cells are periodically replaced by connective tissue.

Symptoms

What signs can be used to diagnose "inflammation of the trigeminal nerve"? Symptoms of this disease are pain that can appear in any part of the face.

If the first branch is inflamed, the pain will be mostly in the eye area. "Give away" will be in the whiskey, the root of the nose, the frontal lobe.
If the second branch is inflamed, the pain will be concentrated mostly in the region of the upper jaw. The pain can “move” from the upper lip to the temple and back. It should also be said that this pain is easily confused with a toothache.
If the third branch is inflamed, the pain is first felt in the chin, then it can spread to the lower jaw and ear.

Now it has become very clear how pain spreads if a person has inflammation of the trigeminal nerve. Symptoms in this disease can also be confused with symptoms of other diseases, such as, for example, temporal tendinitis or dental problems. That is why, at the first symptoms, it is important to seek medical help in order to make the correct diagnosis and prescribe competent treatment.

Types of pain

Pain in this disease can be of two main types:

Typical pain. It may quiet down from time to time. Shooting character, reminiscent of an electric shock. Pain occurs at the moment of touching certain areas of the face.
Atypical pain. Its character is constant, it affects most of the face. In this case, the treatment is more difficult and lengthy.

A few more words about pain

It is worth saying that only one pain sensation can make such a diagnosis as trigeminal neuralgia.

Most often, the pain will be one-sided.
Her attacks can be aggravated with the advent of a cold snap.
The frequency of pain attacks can be different: it varies from a couple of attacks per day to the onset of pain every 10 minutes.
Duration of attacks: a few seconds.
Pain can occur not only while touching the face, but also at the time of brushing your teeth, chewing food, and even talking.
Most often occurs suddenly.
It spreads along the branches of the branches of the trigeminal nerve.
Pain may increase over time, become more frequent.

Diagnostics

How can a correct diagnosis of trigeminal neuralgia be made? Diagnosis of the disease should be carried out exclusively by a doctor. On your own, you can make a mistake with the diagnosis, and compare the symptoms with a completely different disease. What will the doctor do?

Neurological examination with assessment of pain syndrome.
Palpation of the face. It is necessary to determine the degree of damage to the trigeminal nerve.
MRI - magnetic resonance imaging.
Computer diagnostics.

Treatment

If a patient has trigeminal neuralgia, the treatment of this disease can be carried out in various ways. So, it can be conservative, that is, you can prescribe medications, physiotherapy. Treatment can also be radical. In this case, minimally invasive procedures are used, as well as surgical intervention.

Conservative getting rid of the problem

As mentioned above, if a patient has trigeminal neuralgia, treatment can be conservative. What can the doctor prescribe in this case?

Antispasmodics. These are drugs that relieve pain, significantly facilitating the patient's condition. These drugs may be given alone, but are most commonly used with anticonvulsants. Example: the drug "Baclofen" is attributed together with the drug "Phenytoin" or "Carbamazepine".
Anticonvulsants. To stop the pain associated with inflammation of the trigeminal nerve, doctors most often prescribe a drug such as Carbamazepine. You can also use other drugs of the same group: these can be drugs such as Lamotrigine or Gabapentin. The dosage of these drugs, if necessary, can be increased. However, this can be done only with the permission of the attending physician. It is also worth remembering that this can lead to side effects such as nausea, dizziness, loss of strength, drowsiness.

Alcohol blockade

If the patient has an inflamed trigeminal nerve, treatment can be carried out with the help of alcohol blockades. Their main goal: freezing the trigeminal nerve. This is followed by an analgesic effect. With this treatment, the patient will be injected with the drug "Ethanol" into one of the branches of the trigeminal nerve. Relief occurs almost immediately, the pain can disappear for a maximum of a day. However, she comes back anyway. If the nerve damage is quite strong, the effect of these injections is not so long. The number of injections allowed varies depending on the degree of the disease and is prescribed exclusively by the doctor. This treatment also has its drawbacks. This method is fraught with the following complications:

Bleeding.
Hematomas.
Vascular damage.
Damage to the nerve itself.

How will the process of alcohol blockade take place if the patient has inflammation of the trigeminal nerve on the face? Drugs for neuralgia, which the doctor can prescribe:

Conduction anesthesia. First, an injection of the drug "Novocain" (2%) is made, dosage: 1-2 ml.
And only after that the doctor injects a few ml of 80% alcohol, necessarily in combination with the Novocain preparation.

It must be said that this procedure should be carried out exclusively on an outpatient basis, because it requires skills and abilities.

Surgery

How else can you get rid of such a problem as inflammation of the trigeminal nerve on the face? So, in some cases, the patient may be prescribed surgical intervention. What can the doctor do in this case?

"Release" the nerve from the pressure of the vessel on it.
The trigeminal nerve itself or its node can be destroyed. This is done in order to stop the pain syndrome.

It is worth saying that such operations are minimally invasive.

Bloodless surgery

If the patient has trigeminal neuralgia, treatment can be done with radiosurgery such as CyberKnife or GammaKnife.

Gamma Knife. An innovative tool in radiosurgery. With this intervention, the patient wears a special helmet on his head. Gamma radiation is directed to the pathological focus and thus relieve the patient of the problem.
Cyber knife. In this case, the treatment is also carried out with a weak dose of radiation, but here the helmet is not worn. With this procedure, the emitting head works, which itself finds the pathological focus and “removes” it.

There are many advantages to this type of treatment. First of all, it is a non-invasive intervention. There is no risk of bleeding and other complications that may occur during a conventional operation. Also, the patient does not require hospitalization, there is no preoperative preparation. It is also important that anesthesia is not required. And another huge plus of this method of treatment: there is no postoperative period. After the procedure, the patient can immediately return to their daily activities.

Other ways to deal with this disease

If a patient has trigeminal neuralgia, treatment can be carried out in the following ways:

Vascular decompression. In this case, during surgery, the patient will be “released” the nerve. The doctor’s vessel itself can both be displaced and removed. This procedure can be performed if the patient has an abnormal placement of blood vessels in the cranial cavity. However, after such an intervention, a return of the pain syndrome is still possible. In addition, complications such as facial numbness, double vision, hearing loss, and even stroke are also possible.
balloon compression. In this procedure, the doctor inserts a catheter into the trigeminal ganglion, at the tip of which a small balloon is placed. It gradually inflates, which leads to the fact that the nerve bursts. This treatment is carried out using CT or MRI. Nuance: after these actions, the disease may return. Complications such as partial numbness of the face or weakness of the masticatory and facial muscles may also occur.
If the patient is affected by the trigeminal nerve, treatment can be carried out thanks to a procedure such as rhizotomy. This is the intersection of the nerve that is responsible for pain. In this case, frequency rhizotomy is possible, when only the edge of the nerve is destroyed under local anesthesia. But radiofrequency trigeminal rhizotomy is also possible, when a doctor inserts a special needle under the base of the skull. A small impulse is applied to it, which leads to the destruction of the nerve. It is worth saying that this method is most often used in the treatment of the elderly, as well as patients with multiple sclerosis. The effect of this procedure lasts quite a long time. Pain may appear at least after a few years.

ethnoscience

If a patient is diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia, drug treatment is not the only way to get rid of this problem. You can also try to be cured by various folk remedies.

To prepare the medicine, it is necessary to chop the onion, potatoes and pickles, pour everything with diluted wine vinegar to the state of gruel. The resulting mass must be insisted for about 2 hours. At this time, we must remember that the medicine must be shaken. It is best to do this every 15 minutes. And only after that you can be treated with this remedy. Compresses are made from it, which are placed on the affected areas of the face twice a day - in the morning and in the evening. The compress is kept on the face for 1 hour.
If the patient has inflammation of the trigeminal facial nerve, juice obtained from black radish can be used for treatment. It just needs to be rubbed along the nerve into the skin. This must be done three times a day.
You can also prepare a medicinal infusion. To do this, you need to pour one tablespoon of yarrow herb with a glass of boiling water. Then everything is infused for at least 1 hour, filtered. The medicine should be taken one tablespoon three times a day 10 minutes before the main meals.
If the trigeminal nerve is inflamed, treatment can be carried out with fir oil. It must be rubbed into the skin about 6 times a day. It is best to use a cotton pad for this. Do not be afraid if the skin at the site of rubbing turns red and swells. The pain will soon subside, the burn will come down, and the problem will not disturb.
People say that ordinary boiled eggs help to cope with pain. If the patient has an inflamed trigeminal nerve, you need to boil one hard-boiled egg, peel it, cut it in half and apply it to the skin in those places where the pain is localized. Soon the disease will disappear.
Chamomile tea can help relieve pain. It is very simple to prepare it: 1 teaspoon of grass must be poured with a glass of boiling water, insist a little. The medicine is ready. Now tea must be typed into the mouth and kept there for a long time.

Short-term intense pain occurs every time it appears. Medical treatment in such situations should be prescribed by a doctor. Competent therapy of the disease will allow not only to immediately eliminate the symptoms, but also to avoid the recurrence of such conditions and complications in the future.

Intense pain that suddenly occurs on the face, head, temples, jaw makes a person look for means to eliminate the symptoms of inflammation of the facial nerve. In such situations, self-treatment can lead to negative consequences - you need to contact a medical institution. A doctor should treat inflammation of the trigeminal nerve.

Today, it is accepted to effectively treat inflammation of the trigeminal nerve by several methods:

Most often, conservative methods of therapy are used. Only in exceptional situations, when it is impossible to eliminate painful symptoms with medicines and physiotherapy procedures, they resort to a surgical operation. In this case, the doctor eliminates the compression of the nerve fiber or destroys the nerve that causes pain.

Modern approaches to solve several problems. First of all, the doctor prescribes medications that reduce painful symptoms. The next stage of treatment is to eliminate the factors that provoked neuralgia. The final phase of therapy should include prophylactic drugs against the occurrence of repeated attacks of inflammation of the trigeminal nerve on the face.

Medicines for pain and inflammation

The most popular drugs for - anti-inflammatory and painkillers. Typically, these drugs are prescribed in short courses. They help reduce inflammation and pain.

Nimesulide (Nimesil, Nemulex, Nimika, Nimulide) is one of the most effective means. The drugs quickly stop the pain, reduce the severity of the inflammatory process. The duration of therapy is from three to seven days. Nimesulide is used orally or as an ointment.

Diclofenac (Ortofen, Voltaren, Diklak, Dicloberl) in the form of ointments, gels is applied topically to relieve moderate pain. In the form of injections, tablets and capsules, it reduces trigeminal inflammation and facial pain.

Preparations that include ibuprofen (Ibuprom, Nurofen) eliminate the symptoms of pain and inflammation. The drug has a pronounced efficacy and low toxicity. Ibuprofen is available in the form of tablets, capsules and ointments.

Less commonly, a doctor may prescribe katadolon, xefocam, dexalgin, ketorolac to eliminate pain. Injections of analgin with diphenhydramine help to quickly relieve the symptoms of pain, swelling and inflammation.

Sometimes it is not possible to cope with recurring attacks of neuralgia on the face with conventional non-steroidal painkillers. Increasing the dose of drugs only increases their toxicity and severity of side effects. In order to solve this problem, the doctor may prescribe medications that relax muscles - muscle relaxants.

Any pain provokes a spasm. This worsens the blood supply to the painful area on the face, jaw, head. Poor blood supply aggravates the situation, pain and spasm only intensify. To break this circle, along with non-steroidal painkillers, the doctor recommends the use of muscle relaxants (tolperisone or tizanidine).

The use of muscle relaxants along with non-steroidal painkillers speeds up recovery, effectively helps to cope with pain. In addition, due to the joint use of tolperisone or tizanidine with anti-inflammatory drugs, it is possible to reduce the dose of painkillers.

Anticonvulsants

Drugs with an anticonvulsant effect eliminate the symptoms of inflammation of the trigeminal nerve. Carbamazepine, Gabapentin, Clonazepam, by inhibiting the transmission of pathological impulses in nerve endings, help to reduce the number of pain attacks that occur. Anticonvulsant drugs are prescribed only by a doctor, individually selecting the dose, frequency and duration of the drug.

Carbamazepine, Clonazepam and Gabapentin act gradually. The course of therapy can take from several months to six months. With the help of anticonvulsants, it is possible to successfully treat inflammation of the trigeminal nerve and achieve partial or complete elimination of the symptoms of the disease.

Drugs to eliminate the causes of neuritis

Inflammation of the trigeminal nerve is difficult to cure if you do not deal with the elimination of the factors that triggered the development of the disease. Infectious diseases (), injuries, nervous disorders, mechanical compression of nerve fibers provoke the appearance of pain in trigeminal neuritis.

You can cope with herpes or colds with the help of antiviral agents. Interferon and acyclovir preparations suppress the development of the herpes virus, which affects nerve fibers and causes pathology of the facial nerve.

Sedative drugs and B vitamins help to eliminate painful sensations on the face that appear during stressful situations. It is optimal if sedatives (afobazole, glycine, phenibut, mebicar) are prescribed by a doctor.

Medicines containing B vitamins (milgamma, combilipen, neurobion, neuromultivit) help restore the normal functioning of nerve fibers.

Sometimes the disease of the trigeminal nerve is provoked by sinusitis, sinusitis, allergies or dental pathologies. In such situations, it is important to treat these ailments in a timely manner and seek medical help. Antibacterial drugs, antiallergic agents may be prescribed.

To treat the pathology of the facial nerve, drugs that improve the activity of blood vessels are also used. If the disease is caused by atherosclerosis, cholesterol-lowering drugs must be prescribed: simvastatin, atorvastatin, rosuvastatin, fenofibrate. Sometimes medicines are recommended that optimize the blood circulation of the brain: vinpocetine, ginkgo biloba, piracetam, cinnarizine, betahistine.

Auxiliary therapies

In order to quickly eliminate the symptoms of the disease, it is necessary to adhere to an integrated approach to treatment. Medicines can be used not only in the form of injections or tablets. Various physiotherapy procedures are more effectively carried out using medications.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (analgin, diclofenac), antispasmodics (drotaverine, magnesium sulfate) are successfully used for electrophoresis in case of damage to the trigeminal nerve. Compresses with dimexide, painkillers, glucocorticoids (hydrocortisone, prednisolone, dexamethasone) help to eliminate pain and inflammation at home.

Medicinal plants can be used as additional means. Medicinal herbal teas, baths with herbs and essential oils help to calm the nervous system and restore health.

Many experts tend to believe that inflammation of the facial nerve is almost impossible to cure. At the same time, today the doctor has a solid arsenal of tools and can prescribe an effective drug treatment for inflammation of the trigeminal nerve. Complex therapy can prevent the occurrence of painful attacks of neuralgia of the facial nerve for a long time.