Trigeminal Neuralgia

The chief symptoms of this disease is short, excruciating pains in the facial area supplied by the trigeminal nerve, which possesses three divisions: the ophthalmic, the maxillary, and the mandibular branches. The clinical feature is a sudden attack of spasmodic electric shock-like (needle puncture or burning) severe pain in the involved area lasting a few seconds or minutes. Attacks may occur several times a day, generally when the patient is washing the face, brushing the teeth, eating or talking. Pain usually occurs on one side of the face over the area supplied by the 2nd and 3rd branches of the trigeminal nerve. There are no symptoms between attacks. The incidence is higher in middle-aged women than in other groups.

Points:

The first branch: UB 2 Zanzhu
The second branch: ST 2 Sibai
The third branch: Jiachengjiang (Extra).

Prescription:

5 - 1 cc. of procaine, or 0.5 mg of Vitamin B12, or O.5 cc. of Analgin, is injected into the point on the affected side. Once every other two or three days.

Notes:

Trigeminal neuralgia is a rather obstinate disease with frequent occurrence. If necessary, combine with medical treatment for temporary remission.
The condition must be distinguished from other forms of facial neuralgia caused by diseases of the jaw, teeth or sinuses.

Source: The Treatment of 100 Common Diseases by New Acupuncture, Medicine and Health Publishing Company

[Clinical observation on acupoint injection of VitB12 for treatment of trigeminal neuralgia]

Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2007 Sep;27(9):668-70

Authors: Zhou CS, Kong DQ, Han ZY

OBJECTIVE: To probe a better method for treatment of trigeminal neuralgia. Methods One hundred and four cases of trigeminal neuralgia were randomly divided into a treatment group (n=57) and a control group (n=47). The treatment group were treated witb acupoint injection of 2000 microg of VitB12, with Xiaguan (ST 7) selected as main point, and the control group witb oral administration of Carbamazepine. The therapeutic effect were analyzed after 3 tberapeutic courses. RESULTS: Tbe cured and markedly effective rate and the effective rate were 82.5% and 98.2% in the treatment group, and 57.4% and 8O.9% in the control group, with a very significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.01). After treatment, there was a very significant difference in the cumulative score of pain between the two groups (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Acupoint injection of VitB12 has a better therapeutic effect than that of oral administration of Carbamazepine.

PMID: 17926620 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]