Nerves & senses
Acupuncture for Facial Pain
Facial pain can strike suddenly during something as ordinary as talking, chewing or brushing your teeth. Because you never know when the next attack will come, the fear of it can be as draining as the pain itself. Acupuncture and laser acupuncture can be used to support the body, with attention to the pain and to what triggers or maintains it.
What is facial pain?
Facial pain is a general term for pain in the face. A well-known form is trigeminal neuralgia: pain in the area of the trigeminal nerve, which provides sensation to the face. This nerve has three branches: to the forehead and eye, to the cheek, upper jaw and upper lip, and to the lower jaw, lower lip and tongue.
Typical of trigeminal neuralgia are short, intense attacks of shooting, stabbing or electric pain on one side of the face. They can be triggered by talking, chewing, laughing, brushing teeth, shaving, washing the face or a cold gust of wind. Often there is a sensitive spot on the face where a light touch can trigger an attack. Between attacks, people are usually pain-free.
Sometimes a small blood vessel presses on the nerve, but often no clear cause is found. Facial pain can also have other causes, such as problems with the teeth, jaw or sinuses, or nerve pain after shingles. That is why it is important that the cause is first examined by a doctor or dentist.
Traditional Chinese Medicine
Facial pain from a TCM perspective
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, facial pain is approached by looking at the meridians running through the painful area of the face. The circumstances also give clues about the nature of the disturbance: does warmth help or worsen the pain, and do cold, talking, chewing or tension trigger an attack? In practice, there is often an excess of Yang rising to the head.
Wind-Cold
Feng HanWhen cold and wind trigger the pain and warmth helps, TCM describes Wind-Cold blocking the meridians of the face. This is associated with cramping, sharp pain that increases in winter or in a draught.
Rising Heat
Gan Wei Huo Shang YanWhen warmth, tension, talking and chewing worsen the pain, TCM describes Heat rising to the face. This is associated with burning, shooting pain, a red or warm face, irritability and symptoms that increase with stress.
Qi and Blood stagnation
Qi Zhi Xue YuWhen the pain has existed for a long time, is always in the same place and is stabbing in nature, TCM describes a blocked flow of Qi and Blood in the meridians of the face.
How can acupuncture and laser acupuncture help with facial pain?
Treatment starts by establishing exactly where the pain is located, what it feels like and what triggers or relieves it. This determines which meridians are involved and which points are selected.
- 01Distant points: because the face can be very sensitive during a pain period, mainly points on the hands, arms, legs and feet connected to the affected meridians are treated.
- 02Needle-free laser treatment of the face: when touching the face can trigger an attack, laser acupuncture is a comfortable alternative. Points on the face are treated with therapeutic laser light, without needles and without pressure.
- 03Ear acupuncture with the laser: points on the ear can be used to calm the nervous system. At Bai Kang this is always done with the laser, never with needles.
- 04Underlying factors: attention is also given to what may influence the symptoms, such as stress, fatigue, poor sleep and tension in the jaw, neck and shoulders.
Prefer no needles?
Every treatment can also be carried out completely needle-free with laser acupuncture, in which the same points are treated with therapeutic laser light. Ear acupuncture is always carried out with the laser. Acupressure, which also uses no needles, can be used as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between facial pain and trigeminal neuralgia?
Facial pain is the general term for pain in the face, with many possible causes. Trigeminal neuralgia is a specific form, with short, intense attacks of shooting pain in the area of the trigeminal nerve, usually on one side of the face.
Can acupuncture help with facial pain?
Acupuncture can be used as support for facial pain, also alongside medication. Treatment is tailored to the location of the pain and to what triggers the attacks. The degree of change people experience varies per person.
Will needles be placed in my face?
Not if that could trigger the pain. Treatment mainly uses distant points on the hands, arms and legs. Points on the face can be treated needle-free with the laser, without touch or pressure.
Why am I asked what triggers or relieves the pain?
Within Chinese medicine, the response to warmth, cold, talking, chewing and tension gives clues about the nature of the disturbance. Pain triggered by cold is treated differently from pain that worsens with warmth or stress.
Can I keep taking my medication?
Yes. Acupuncture can be used alongside your medication. If you want to reduce medication, always discuss this with your GP or neurologist first.
How many treatments are needed?
This varies per person and depends on the cause, how long the symptoms have existed and how often the attacks occur. After the first treatments, we review together how you respond and what a suitable follow-up would be.
Personal Treatment Plan
Suffering from pain in your face?
During a first appointment, we look at where your pain is and what triggers it, and which form of acupuncture suits you, with or without needles.