It’s understandable to be confused about the condition known as trigeminal neuralgia. The people who are most at risk for developing this condition are women and those over the age of 50. That being said, this condition can happen to someone at any age. Statistics gathered from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke found that trigeminal neuralgia affects nearly 12 out of 100,000 people annually. In this post, you’ll learn about the symptoms of trigeminal neuralgia and how to treat this condition.
Understanding Trigeminal Neuralgia
Trigeminal neuralgia is a condition that causes someone to experience chronic amounts of pain. This pain primarily resides along the trigeminal nerve which stretches throughout the face. In some cases, trigeminal nerve pain is extremely severe and can last for seconds to minutes. On the other hand, groups of these smaller episodes can group together which can cause hours of pain.
Ultrasound Therapy for Trigeminal Neuralgia Pain
Since the 1940s, ultrasound technology has been used for therapeutic purposes. These ultrasounds differ from the ones you’re likely thinking of. While ultrasounds allow pregnant individuals to get a closer look at their babies in the womb, this technology can also relieve pain for certain people.
You’ll want to know how ultrasound therapy for pain can provide relief for those suffering from trigeminal neuralgia. Ultrasound technology is a low cost and minimally invasive type of trigeminal neuralgia treatment. In addition, ultrasound treatment is a form of trigeminal neuralgia pain relief that doesn’t involve taking opioids. As you likely know, opioids often become habit forming which can drastically decrease your quality of life.
While taking part in an ultrasound treatment, the beams stay extremely close to the trigeminal nerve. In turn, this allows patients to experience trigeminal neuralgia pain relief without having to undergo an operation. These beams work to destroy tissue causing nerve pain by using heat. Therapeutic ultrasounds are typically utilized within the frequency range of 0.8 to 3.0 MHz.
To summarize, it’s important to learn about trigeminal neuralgia. This condition causes bouts of intense pain. Considering that, it’s understandable that many people living with this condition are seeking trigeminal neuralgia pain relief. That being said, certain treatment options aren’t likely to be the best choices. Opioids are known to cause addictions that can spiral out of control. Therefore, it’s a wiser decision to seek out an ultrasound for trigeminal neuralgia pain relief. This process is known for being minimally invasive and more cost effective than other pain relief methods.