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Trigeminal Neuralgia Specialist

The Painless Center Jason Chiu, MD Our Services Trigeminal Neuralgia
Jason Chiu, MD - - Pain Management Specialist

The Painless Center

Jason Chiu, MD

Pain Management Specialist & Anesthesiologist located in Clifton, NJ & Tenafly, NJ

If any stimulation to your face causes excruciating, persistent pain, you may have a condition known as trigeminal neuralgia. When chronic facial pain isolates you from your usual activities, Jason Chiu, MD, and his experienced medical team provide strategies unique to your needs. At The Painless Center, with offices in Tenafly and Carlstadt, New Jersey, you can access the latest treatments, including radiofrequency ablation procedures, to relieve intense facial pain and improve your quality of life. Learn more about trigeminal neuralgia and your options for pain relief by calling The Painless Center or using the online booking feature.

Trigeminal Neuralgia

What is trigeminal neuralgia?

Trigeminal neuralgia is a nerve disorder that develops when nearby blood vessels compress the trigeminal nerve, which is responsible for transmitting sensations from your face to your brain.

Due to this compression, you may experience a sudden, jolting pain after any stimulation of your face, such as:

  • Eating
  • Shaving
  • Washing your face
  • Brushing your teeth

Even smiling or standing in a breeze can cause excruciating pain throughout your face.

Women, especially those over 50, are at increased risk for the condition, but men can also develop trigeminal neuralgia as they get older. Additionally, those with multiple sclerosis and other nerve disorders may also be prone to trigeminal neuralgia.


What are the symptoms of trigeminal neuralgia?

In addition to severe facial pain, you may also experience a persistent burning sensation or chronic ache in any of the areas where the trigeminal nerve travels, including your:

  • Lips
  • Jaw
  • Gums
  • Cheek

Pain typically affects only one side of your face at a time and may develop in just one area or become widespread throughout your face.

Many people experience pain that lasts just a few seconds. However, the condition can progress into episodes of pain that last longer each time. For those with severe episodes of pain, symptoms can last for weeks or months, interfering with your usual routine.


What treatment options are available for trigeminal neuralgia?

The goal of treatment for trigeminal neuralgia is to alleviate pain to enhance your quality of life. Dr. Chiu also designs your treatment to reduce other disruptive side effects of chronic facial pain, such as sleep disturbances.

Initially, he may prescribe pain-relieving medications to tame the intense, burning pain of trigeminal neuralgia. If oral medications aren’t enough to keep you comfortable, Dr. Chiu can administer nerve blocks, which are anesthetic injections that deliver a numbing medication directly to the affected nerve.

Dr. Chiu also offers radiofrequency ablation, a minimally invasive surgical procedure to burn the nerve fibers responsible for pain, effectively disrupting pain signals to the brain.

If you’re suffering debilitating facial pain due to trigeminal neuralgia, schedule a consultation online or by calling the office nearest you today.

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