Acupuncture and Herbs Can Help Resolve Trigeminal Neuralgia

A technique of Chinese medical, acupuncture involves the sticking of filiform needles into specified points on the body to heal the person. The Medical Acupuncture journal published a recent study demonstrating meaningful benefits from acupuncture therapies when given to patients stricken with Trigeminal Neuralgia. This condition is characterized by a sensation of electric shock or severe stabbing pain along the trigeminal nerve pathway. The pain is often experienced on one part of the face, typically around the eye, cheek, and lower part of the face. The origin of the pain is not yet quite completely known, although studies indicate that Trigeminal Neuralgia has an affiliation with the degeneration of the myelin sheath of the trigeminal sensory nerves.

A lot of patients suffer through prolonged unsuccessful treatment approaches of MVDs (microvascular decompressions) and temperate dosages of single-medicine treatment while some do respond to them. This suffering involves complications associated with surgery, side effects from high doses of drugs, and postoperative symptoms relapse. Trigeminal Neuralgia patients are often prescribed antiepileptic drugs that have side effects like cardiac arrhythmia, hematological abnormalities, vomiting, nausea, ataxia, and dizziness. Besides that, a large number of Trigeminal Neuralgia patients resort to painkilling drugs including narcotics.

In the study, all seven of the women patients and four out of the five adult male patients favorably responded to acupuncture. Following complete remission of the Trigeminal Neuralgia, five out of the twelve subjects were able to cease their intake of medicines. A couple of acupuncture treatments were all that’s needed for one of the five subjects in order to attain complete remission; the rest required three to nine treatments to obtain the same result.

The NIH (National Institutes of Health) has recognized acupuncture as a scientifically valid mode of treatment with an ability to effectively relieve pain. One of the best features of acupuncture in Vancouver is that it’s virtually free of side effects besides being very safe and non-invasive. TCM practitioners believe that when the needles are inserted into the skin, they boost the flow of blood to the area that needs treatment. The cumulative effect of multiple acupuncture treatments can actually result in the repair of the damaged nerves which in the case of TN, is the damage to the myelin of the trigeminal sensory nerves mentioned a while ago.

Along with acupuncture, Chinese herbs can also be used to make the treatment even more potent. Hsue fu zhu yu tang is a Chinese herbal formula often used by practitioners to treat Trigeminal Neuralgia. This concoction is made up of several Chinese herbs including Angelicae sinensis radix (root of Chinese angelica), Chuanhsiong Rhizoma (root of Szechuan lovage), Carthami Flos (safflower petals), and Persicae Semen (peach kernel) as the first four herbs. According to TCM, these herbs are deemed to possess a strong circulating or invigorating quality, and can help relieve pain by removing stagnations or blockages in the body.

The above-mentioned Trigeminal Neuralgia study concluded that before more invasive therapies are attempted, acupuncture therapy should be first taken into consideration.