OBJECTIVE:
To observe the clinical efficacy on primary trigeminal neuralgia treated with joint needling method at the trigger point.
A patient receiving acupuncture for Trigeminal Neuralgia
METHODS:
One hundred and three cases of primary trigeminal neuralgia were divided into a joint needling group (53 cases) and a conventional needling group (50 cases) according to the visit sequence. In the joint needling group, the joint needling method was used at the trigger point in the mandibular joint [the positive point near to Xiaguan (ST 7)]; the conventional needling was used at Hegu (LI 4), Waiguan (TE 5), Taichong (LR 3) and Neiting (ST 44). In the conventional needling group, Xiaguan (ST 7) and Fengchi (GB 20) were used and the supplementary acupoints were selected according to the involved branches of the trigeminal nerve. The conventional needling method was used. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the score of trigeminal neuralgia were adopted to assess the pain severity and the comprehensive symptoms before treatment and after the 1st and 2nd sessions of treatment separately. The efficacy was assessed.
RESULTS:
After the 1st and 2nd sessions of treatment, VAS score and the comprehensive symptom score were reduced obviously as compared with those before treatment in either group (P
CONCLUSION:
The joint needling method at the trigger point achieves the significant efficacy of primary trigeminal neuralgia, which is superior to that with the conventional needling method.
Resources:
– SOURCE: Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Changzhou Municipal Hospital of TCM, Changzhou 213003, Jiangsu Province, China.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22741254
Trigeminal Neuralgia can be a debilitating condition for patients. Most common that are effected are women over 50 years old. Such mild stimulation such as brushing your teeth or chewing or even speaking can trigger an episode that can have very painful consequences. Acupuncture has been effective in alleviating pain and discomfort for patients with trigeminal neuralgia.