Trigeminal neuralgia, also known as tic douloureux, is a medical condition involving severe pain in the trigeminal nerve, which carries sensation from the different parts of the face to the brain. Involvement of the trigeminal nerve causes pain in the cheek, jaw, teeth, gums, lips, and the area near the eyes and forehead. The pain may range from mild to very severe, stabbing pain. Trigeminal neuralgia usually results due to pressure on the nerve by vascular structures or a tumor, due to degeneration of the trigeminal nerve, or due to unknown causes. Mild pressure and movement of the face muscles can cause aggravation of the pain in trigeminal neuralgia.
The Ayurvedic herbal treatment of trigeminal neuralgia is aimed at giving symptomatic relief from pain as well as treating the known cause for the condition. Treatment is given to help soothe the nerve cells as well as to reduce and treat any possible inflammation of the nerve. Nerve degeneration is treated with appropriate Ayurvedic herbal medicines, which need to be taken for several months in order to completely heal the damage nerve. Pressure on the trigeminal nerve due to neighboring arteries, veins or due to an expanding tumor, need to be treated with appropriate Ayurvedic medicines. In most people affected with this condition, even after a thorough investigation of the patient, no cause for the condition can be detected. In such situations, Ayurvedic herbal medicines are given which act on the trigeminal nerve and reduce irritability and perception of pain. This helps to gradually reduce the pain experienced by the patient.
Ayurvedic herbal medicines also need to be given to improve the microcirculation within the nerve, so that the nerve starts functioning at an optimum level, and abnormal pain sensations are brought down to acceptable levels. In addition, treatment is also given to treat toxins presented in the blood as well as in blood vessels, which may be responsible for causing the trigeminal neuralgia. Depending upon the severity of the condition, treatment may need to be given for about two to six months, in order to completely cure the condition.
Ayurvedic herbal treatment can thus be judiciously utilised in the treatment and management of trigeminal neuralgia.
The writer, Dr. A. A. Mundewadi, is available as an online Ayurvedic Consultant at www.ayurvedaphysician.com
