Glycerol Injections

Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN) is a condition, which affects your 5^th cranial, trigeminal nerve. Type1 or TN1 form of Trigeminal Neuralgia causes sudden and extreme facial pain. The pain onset is typically sporadic and lasts from a few seconds to several minutes at a time. If you suffer from Trigeminal Neuralgia, glycerol injections may be a solution for your pain. If medications are not effective (or cause unwanted side effects) in treating your pain, glycerol injections are typically then employed.

If it is decided that Glycerol Injections are the next best step for treating your TN it is injected into your gasserian ganglion. A needle will be introduced into the nerve and a small amount of glycerol is injected. The treatment takes a few minutes and is performed while you are awake.

Most patients report an almost immediate relief of pain and persisting numbness in the face is not typical. Infection rates are very rare and recurrence rates are relatively high. Close to one-half will have recurrences over three to four years. It is possible for reinjection to occur, but they may become less effective after several are performed.

The important thing to remember when treating your Trigeminal Neuralgia is that proper and accurate diagnosis is required. It’s also important to remember that medical treatments (such as Glycerol Injections) should be explored before surgery is considered. There is no such thing as a superior treatment for your TN. All treatments must be individualized using a broad spectrum of treatment options tailored to your needs.

Contact New York Facial Paralysis today if you or a family member is suffering from Trigeminal Neuralgia.