Trigeminal neuralgia is marked by severe and recalcitrant pain that is often resistant to medications. Acupuncture improves microcirculation to the tiny capillaries and compartments of the body in the areas of the face, head, neck, and jaw.

Neuropathic pain from TN is caused by damage or obstruction of one or more branches of the trigeminal nerve. Acupuncture is effective in many cases because of its ability to modulate the perception of pain along nerve pathways (Robinson, 2016). There is an acceptance being granted in the field of neuroscience towards acupuncture as more studies show evidence that acupuncture has the ability to dampen pain signals as well as affect multiple centers of the brain including the autonomic system, the reticular brain, and the brainstem (Robinson, 2016).

Studies show that acupuncture is effective for neuropathic pain in two important ways: (1) it alters the pathway from the limb or distal body to the brain thereby modifying sensory inputs that relay pain sensation (Ma et al., 2022), and (2) it activates pain-reducing chemicals including norepinephrine and opioids from the higher centers in the brain and spinal cord (Ma et al., 2022).

Diagnosis

This starts by identifying the particular branch of the trigeminal nerve that is affected. The ophthalmic, maxillary, and mandibular branches represent the pathways and usually one of these is most affected. Specific acupuncture protocols exist for the treatment of each of these branches.

Some acupoint examples

Stomach meridian acupoints are very useful for conditions in which blood circulation has been impeded since this meridian is the most replete in qi and blood. The Stomach is part of the yangming system, meaning it represents an expansive pool of qi and blood. The skin, being the most superficial or external of our anatomy, is accessed most expeditiously through the Stomach meridian and its corresponding acupoints. Use of Stomach channel points is important in most cases of neuropathy since skin that is affected by some degree of sensory loss.

Treatment requires the use of many channels. A few examples of points commonly used are:

Stomach 2, is located along the superior border of the infraorbital bone, just beneath the eye on top of the bony ridge, and in line with the pupil. This point supplies innervation to the upper cheek, and upper lip mucosa, which explains its neurological effects on the cheek area. Listed as a point for trigeminal neuralgia in Chinese texts that describe this condition thousands of years ago.

Small Intestine 18, located beneath the zygomatic arch or cheekbone, lies on the maxillary branch of the trigeminal nerve. It assists in restoring neural feedback to the cheek and entire face, and is used in almost every case of TN.

REFERENCES

Ma, Chen, Yang… (2022). Potential mechanisms of acupuncture for neuropathic pain based on somatosensory system. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 16. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2022.940343

Robinson, N. (2016). Interactive medical acupuncture anatomy. Teton NewMedia.