Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN) is the pain caused by a compression of the trigeminal nerve, the largest of the twelve nerves in the cranium. The trigeminal nerve is primarily responsible for sensation in the face and one of its three branches is responsible for the movement of the jaw as well.
One of the major causes of trigeminal Neuralgia is the erosion of the nerve sheath which is actually a loss of the myelin covering of the nerve. Some other causes may include compression by an adjacent blood vessel, physical damage by dental or other surgeries, genetic predisposition or rarely, a tumor or multiple sclerosis. Abnormalities usually occur at the inner nerve fibers that carry the sensation.
The trigeminal nerve is similar to other sensory nerves like the Sciatic Nerve in the spinal region and the pain caused by compression can be as excruciating as Sciatica. Most of the conventional treatments approach TN in a similar fashion as Sciatic Nerve treatment.
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