What is the best way to relieve the pain of trigeminal neuralgia?

Medications first: Tn affects the nerve relaying sensation from the face. Medications are the first type of treatment. If the meds are not helpful initially or later on, there is a range of surgical treatment that can help. Your doctor can start the medical treatment, and, if necessary, refer you to a neurosurgeon to discuss surgery, including stereotactic radiation treatment.

Meds and Surgery: First approach is immediate pain relief, usually with anti-seizure medications. Many are effective; some more than others. When they are not effective, early intervention with surgical procedures such as microvascular decompression, balloon compression, stereotactic radiofrequency lesion, and gamma knife surgery is effective. Most important: work with specialist familiar with all treatments.

Multiple: Surgeries to treat tn can be divided into: 1 - surgeries which damage the nerve 2 - decompression of the nerve nerve damaging procedures include: a - gamma knife radiosurgery b - "burning the nerve" with a radiofrequency pulse c - "crunching the nerve" with a balloon decompression surgery includes microvascular decompression (mvd). The type of surgery that is best depends on your history.

Many-few effective: As an osteopathic Dr. I've treated trigeminal neuralgia.Usual treatments are pain meds and nerve modulators like Neurontin (gabapentin).These work poorly for most cases.Some cases are treated surgically, implanting a physical buffer by the nerve.Others sever the nerve.My best successes have been with cranial manipulation & neuroprolotherapy which stops the nerve inflammation, stopping the source of pain.