Trigeminal neuralgia, also called tic douloureux, is severe
facial pain—perhaps one of the most excruciating pains
encountered in medicine. Trigeminal Neuralgia, a chronic
condition, causes sudden, extreme burning or shock-like face
pain that lasts anywhere from a few seconds to two minutes. The
intensity of the pain can be mind-numbing and physically
incapacitating. Barnes-Jewish & Washington University
Neuroscience Center is among few centers in the region to offer
the level of care and Trigeminal Neuralgia treatment options we
provide for this debilitating condition. We are also the only
hospital in the region that offers the Gamma Knife radiosurgery
technology for treating this condition. Understanding Trigeminal
Neuralgia Trigeminal neuralgia pain is typically felt on one
side of the jaw or cheek, and most often occurs in people over
age 50, and is more common in women than in men. Pain can be
triggered by eating, talking, brushing the teeth, rubbing the
part of the face where the pain arises or by a col