1. Medication
The pain of trigeminal neuralgia responds poorly to ordinary analgesics, so anticonvulsants such as carbamazepine, which calm nerve excitability, are used instead.
Trigeminal Neuralgia
What are the symptoms of trigeminal neuralgia?
Source : KBS 1TV "The Secret of Life and Death" ep. 994 (20 May 2026)
A disorder of the trigeminal nerve, which carries facial sensation, produces recurring paroxysms of severe pain on one side of the face — like an electric shock or a knife cutting.
Trigeminal neuralgia can usually be diagnosed through careful history-taking, but depending on where the pain is felt, it is frequently mistaken for toothache or another headache.
What causes trigeminal neuralgia?
The most common cause is compression of the trigeminal nerve by an aged cerebral vessel, accounting for over 90% of all patients.
The remainder occur secondarily to brain disorders such as tumor, cerebrovascular disease, or multiple sclerosis, accounting for under 10% of cases.
If trigeminal neuralgia has been diagnosed, brain MRI must be performed to establish the underlying cause.
How is trigeminal neuralgia treated?
2. Surgical treatment
Separating the adherent vessel from the trigeminal nerve addresses the root cause, but re-adhesion and recurrence some years later are not uncommon.
3. Neurolysis using non-surgical injection treatment
Methods using alcohol or radiofrequency are available. They are not permanent, may require repeat procedures, and can carry considerable side effects.
※ This is general medical information provided for understanding only. Actual diagnosis and treatment are determined by a specialist after examination, based on the individual patient's condition.
