Trigeminal Neuralgia

"Trigeminal Neuralgia" Issue / Symptom Connections

Below you will find various relationships to, and potential clinical treatment approaches for trigeminal neuralgia.

Content Related to Trigeminal Neuralgia

It is critical to appreciate that in Chinese Medicine, treatment for "trigeminal neuralgia" is rarely focused on the symptoms exclusively. Alternatively, a practitioner is looking at the factors that led to the development of "trigeminal neuralgia" - i.e. the "cause(s)".

For non-practitioners, we recommend reading treating the "cause" and not the "symptoms" for more on the overall approach and the importance of the TCM diagnostic system in formulating treatment approaches.

Within TCM, "trigeminal neuralgia" is potentially related to one or more of the following diagnostic patterns: blood stagnation, liver and gallbladder damp heat, liver fire, liver yin deficiency, lung dampness - phlegm cold, lung dampness - phlegm heat, lung wind invasion - wind cold, lung wind invasion - wind heat, and/or stomach fire.

The above patterns are common examples. In clinical situations, however, there are any number of other possibilities. Many times there will be a layered combination of patterns in an interwoven blend with their symptoms - some being the cause of an issue and the result of another issue. While initially complex, this is illustrative of the the web of relationships that Chinese Medicine is designed to approach.

Related Acupuncture Protocols

When developing an acupuncture protocol a practitioner is very often focusing on the causal diagnoses in Chinese Medicine terms, not on the condition itself. To illustrate and guide developing an acupuncture treatment for someone experiencing trigeminal neuralgia, this issue is referenced in the following acupuncture protocol section:

• View EX Xinming 1 ()
  
      Midpoint of the skin folds posterior to the earlobe, 5 fen anterior-superior to TH 17.
  
      Xinming points were discovered by clinicians in the 70's. A range of eye disease, macular edema, degeneration, glaucoma, etc. Facial paralysis, trigeminal neuralgia, and other facial spasms (wind).
• View EX Xinming 2 ()
  
      At the depression 1 cun above the external end of eyebrow and 5 fen lateral.
  
      Xinming points were discovered by clinicians in the 70's. A range of eye disease, macular edema, degeneration, glaucoma, etc. Facial paralysis, trigeminal neuralgia, and other facial spasms (wind).
• View SI 18 (Cheek Bone Hole)
  
      Directly below the outer canthus of the eye in a depression on the lower border of the zygoma.
  
      Local point for facial disorders, Bell's palsy, trigeminal neuralgia, spasm, twitching of the eyelids, facial muscles, etc.. Upper jaw tootache. Yellowing of the sclera.  
• View ST 3 (Great Bone-Hole)
  
      Directly below the pupil in a depression at the level of the border of the ala nasi.
  
      Local point - Twitching eyelids, pain a/or swelling of the cheek, trigeminal neuralgia, toothache. Deviation from stroke, bell's palsy, facial paralysis. Swelling of the knee (Deadman text).
• View ST 4 (Earth Granary)
  
      Directly below the pupil, lateral to the corner of the mouth.
  
      Facial pain - Bell's palsy, facial paralysis, trigeminal neuralgia, deviation of mouth from stroke, toothache. Inability to close the eye, eye twitching, itching, night blindness. Inability to eat. May be helpful for atrophy and/or move…