Trigeminal neuropathic pain
Trigeminal neuropathic pain
or traumatic induced neuralgia is a form
of chronic facial pain arising as secondary
to injury to the trigeminal nerve, such as
facial trauma or a dental procedure. It is
rare but increasingly recognized and the
pain is described as a continuous burning
sensation localized to the injured area,
but may be described as constant, dull,
burning with or without intermittent
sharp stabbing pain. Numbness and
tingling may also be present due to
nerve dysfunction. The pain symptoms
may be classed under the following:
Dysaesthesia (abnormal perception of
pain);
Allodynia (due to a stimulus which
does not normally provoke pain); or
Hyperalgesia (an increased sensitivity
to pain).
Proposed mechanisms for
trigeminal neuropathy include peripheral
or central sensitization, beta fibre
reorganization and sympathetically
maintained pain due to alpha receptor
sprouting.19