The suicide disease

Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN) has picked up an extreme nickname over the years. This nerve disorder is often called "the suicide disease" due to the tremendous, unrelenting pain it can cause in the eyes, lips, nose, scalp, forehead, and jaw. This pain is so great and persistent that the sufferers sometimes find their own relief in a manner not recommended by their doctors.

Trigeminal Neuralgia is most common in women over the age of 50 and is generally treated with surgery or medications. It is a disorder of the fifth cranial nerve (trigeminal nerve) and causes the nerve to register severe, sharp, stabbing pains.

This pain can go on for years and seems all but impossible to get rid of with medications. Those who try the route of medication will quickly find themselves victim to a lot of serious side effects due to the amount of medication that can be needed to find relief.

Hopefully, if you have read any of our previous articles, a light turned on in your head when you read the description "disorder of the fifth cranial nerve."

You see, for a chiropractor, nerve dysfunction is considered the culprit in many of our health problems.

When a nerve is not allowed to function correctly, it cannot send messages from the brain to the rest of the body. That break down in communication can cause a laundry list of problems.

For the TN sufferer, there is hope! Let's take a look at some information:

n The Oct. 26, 2009 issue of the "Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research" reports that a patient with a case of trigeminal neuralgia experienced a complete resolution of her condition after a short period of chiropractic care.

n In this case, the patient was a 57 year-old female who had been experiencing TN pain for two years. Her condition was aggravated by exposure to cold. She also complained of high blood pressure, hypothyroidism, loss of hearing in her left ear, neck and shoulder pain and allergies. Her medical doctor prescribed medication to control the pain.

n She stated that she sought chiropractic care because she was concerned that the side effects of the medication were causing her to get sleepy and dizzy while driving. She said she was also not interested in any surgical options either.

n Chiropractic examination found numerous vertebral subluxations, misalignments of the spinal bones that produce interference. Also found were minor degenerative changes in her neck that indicated a previous neck injury consistent with whiplash.

n According to the author, one week after her first adjustment, her "TN pain diminished dramatically in frequency and intensity. After discussing the improvement with her neurologist, she started cutting back on her [medication] dosage. After eight weekly visits, the patient was completely off the medication and pain free."

n "After two years of monthly maintenance care, she is still pain free without medication, even after major dental work."

n She also reported not only did chiropractic care provide more relief than the medication, other "positive side effects included lowered high blood pressure and an improved state of over all well being."

I always feel a sense of great happiness when I read a case study like this. Life has completely changed for this one person in a manner that we may never fully understand. Our only hope is that others will identify with the information we provide and recognize that chiropractic care is much more than a quick treatment for back and neck pain.

If you suffer from TN, or if you are interested in chiropractic care you can contact us at (208) 762-1414, find us on the web at CDAHealth.com, or look us up on Facebook or Twitter.