Treatment of Refractory Facial Pain using I Ching Balance Acupuncture

What is it about?

Background: Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is the most common cranial neuralgia in adults, with a slightly higher incidence in women than in men. This chronic pain condition affects the trigeminal nerve, known as the 5th cranial nerve. It is one of the most deeply distributed nerves in the head. Antiepileptic drugs represent the main medical treatment of TN. However, TN is not the only source of facial pain. Background persistent idiopathic facial pain (PIFP) is also a chronic disorder, recurring daily for more than two hours per day over more than three months. PIFP occurs in the absence of a neurological deficit. The underlying pathophysiology of TN and PIFP is still unknown, and treatment options are not sufficiently evaluated. Nevertheless, neuropathic mechanisms may be relevant in both TN and PIFP. Cases: A 65-year-old Caucasian female suffering from left facial pain was diagnosed by a neurologist with TN ~2.5 years prior to turning to acupuncture treatment. A 42-year-old Caucasian female suffering from left and right facial pain was diagnosed by a neurologist with PIFP ~3 years prior to commencing acupuncture treatment. The cause of facial pain was treated with 60-minute sessions of I Ching Balance Acupuncture (ICBA) twice per week. Prior to each session, the effect of the previous session was carefully recorded in the patients' files. Results: A complete dissipation of pain was achieved after 29 and 60 ICBA sessions in the TN and the PIFP patient, respectively. Conclusions: The present article is the one of the first to demonstrate the efficacy of ICBA treatment for refractory facial pain. As it is shown in the present work ICBA treatment successfully affects facial pain of different types. However, additional larger-scale studies are necessary to validate the efficacy of ICBA in TN and PIFP treatment.

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Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The present article is the one of the first to demonstrate the efficacy of I Ching Balance Acupuncture treatment for refractory facial pain. As it is shown in the present work I Ching Balance Acupuncture successfully affects facial pain of different types.

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