MedifocusHealth

As mentioned previously, trigeminal neuralagia (TN) is a diagnosis based on a patient's subjective description of the characteristics of the facial pain. However, as part of the evaluation the doctor will perform a complete head, neck, neurological, and dental workup, in addition to imaging studies, in order to rule out any other potential causes for the facial pain. Some patients may be leery about the physical exam as they worry that the doctor may touch a trigger point and precipitate an attack.

An additional confirmation of the diagnosis of trigeminal neuralgia may be seen in the way the patient responds to medication. The classic TN patient respond to medications called anticonvulsants that are typically used to control seizures. If a patient does not benefit from medical therapy there is a good chance that there are other causes responsible for facial pain and not irritation of the trigeminal nerve. Also, the patient with true trigeminal neuralgia will not respond to any procedures treating the sinuses or dental issues.