Facial Pain

What is Facial Pain?

Facial pain, also known as orofacial pain, occurs in approximately 10% of the adult population. Facial pain is defined as pain in the face, mouth, or jaw.
Facial pain disorders are caused by a large group of conditions with diverse etiologies, symptoms, and treatment approaches. Due to the high complexity of facial pain disorders, misdiagnosis and mismanagement are common in the medical field. Therefore, it is critical that you seek care from a pain specialist.

At Modern Pain Consultants, we will perform a careful history and clinical examine to focus in on the root of your facial pain. In some cases, we can offer same day, selective diagnostic procedures to confirm your diagnosis.

Facial pain can be divided into neuropathic (originating from a nerve) and non-neuropathic pain.

Facial Pain Treatment

Treatments for facial pain include medications such as anti-inflammatories, anticonvulsant (gabapentin or lyrica), antidepressants (cymbalta), and opioid-like medication. In combination with medication, there are several intervention treatment modalities available for facial pain.

Intervention pain management procedures available for facial pain include:

• Botox Injections for chronic migraines
• Occipital Nerve Blocks / Neurolysis for occipital neuralgia (pain in back of head)
• Supraorbital Nerve Blocks / Neurolysis for supraorbital neuralgia (pain in front of head)
• Trigeminal Nerve Blocks / Neurolysis for trigeminal neuralgia (severe facial pain)
• Sphenopalatine / Gasserian Ganglion blocks for trigeminal neuralgia (severe facial pain)
• Cervical Medial Branch Neurolysis for cervicogenic headaches

The correct etiology of facial pain can be difficult to identify due to over-lapping symptoms of numerous conditions. At Modern Pain Consultants, our teams’ expertise and competency will ensure an accurate diagnosis, facilitate treatment decisions, and provide successful outcomes.