Can neck problems cause trigeminal neuralgia? Yes, neck problems are one of the causes of trigeminal neuralgia. But, there are countless others. Still, the role of neck strength and mobility in treating and managing this condition cannot be overlooked.
This painful condition can leave you debilitated, frustrated, and seeking a solution that provides lasting relief. And, one of the best methods of reducing pain is by performing neck exercises for trigeminal neuralgia.
These targeted neck exercises minimize tension and stress to the trigeminal nerve, which is compressed and causes pain that only intensifies as time passes. Unfortunately, this condition can be highly debilitating if not addressed. The good news? We’re here to help.
Below, we’ll teach you what causes this condition and how to target trigeminal neuralgia through neck exercises, massage, and other tactics to relieve pain once and for all. It’s time to regain control of your life. First, let’s provide a brief introduction to the topic.
What is Trigeminal Neuralgia?
A chronic condition that stimulates pain likened to an electric shock, trigeminal neuralgia is a severe concern. It often affects one side of the face and can initially cause mild pain that intensifies to excruciating pain as the condition progresses. The condition is most often seen in people over 50 and is shown to affect women more often than men.
Causes
Trigeminal neuralgia is frequently caused by the compression of a blood vessel to the trigeminal nerve at the brain's base. The pressure then disrupts the function of the nerve. Neck weakness and carrying stress in shoulders and neck can be significant factors in provoking the compression of the nerve to cause trigeminal neuralgia and neck pain.
Other causes of trigeminal neuralgia include:
- Multiple sclerosis
- A tumor that is compressing the nerve
- Brain lesion
- Facial trauma (ex., concussive, cervical)
- Stroke
- Neck misalignment
Symptoms
There are quite a few symptoms that coincide with trigeminal neuralgia. These symptoms can be incredibly uncomfortable, problematic, and painful.
Symptoms of trigeminal neuralgia include:
- Facial spasms
- Pain that feels like being shocked by electricity (jabbing, shooting, severe)
- Pain affecting only one side of the face
- Pain triggered by speaking, chewing, brushing the teeth, or touching the face
- Pain in specific areas, including the lips, teeth, cheek, jaw, gums, lips, and occasionally the forehead and the eyes
- Infrequent attacks (rarely occur at night, become more frequent and intense, or bouts of no attacks of pain at all)
As this condition is extremely debilitating to withstand, it’s essential to understand what is causing your trigeminal neuralgia. Neck pain can cause various disconcerting symptoms that many don’t initially consider can occur. For example, can neck pain cause dizziness ? It can!
We go more in depth on our blog on other symptoms that can be caused by neck pain, but first, let’s dive into how neck problems may be causing trigeminal neuralgia and how neck training can help fix it!
Can Neck Problems Cause Trigeminal Neuralgia? The Link Between Trigeminal Neuralgia and Neck Pain
So, can neck problems cause trigeminal neuralgia? Yes, neck problems can cause trigeminal neuralgia and neck pain in one unfortunate, debilitating combination that no one wants to suffer from.
Cervical and concussive trauma are two known causes of trigeminal neuralgia. Concussive trauma to the upper back, neck, or head can instigate an injury to the nerve pathways of the brain stem and spinal cord. This results in trigeminal neuralgia.
Like concussive trauma, cervical trauma can also cause trigeminal neuralgia, instigating facial pain. The pain can begin almost immediately, but in some cases, the pain may start months or years later.
Misalignment in the vertebrae, specifically the C1 vertebra, can instigate pressure on the trigeminal nerve. This results in irritation to the nerve, prompting the condition of trigeminal neuralgia.
Find Relief By Using Neck Exercises for Trigeminal Neuralgia, Massage, & Other Treatments!
For pain-free solace from this condition, we recommend using massages and exercises to relieve trigeminal neuralgia. But, of course, there are other forms of treatment for trigeminal neuralgia that can be effective.
Let’s dive into how you can find relief from trigeminal neuralgia using neck exercises with the best neck training equipment and the other most commonly used treatment methods!
The Top Neck Exercises for Trigeminal Neuralgia
To achieve the neck training results you’re yearning for, in this case, relief from trigeminal neuralgia, you must purchase the best neck exercise equipment from Iron Neck!
Our high-quality equipment makes a substantial difference by promoting the most satisfactory neck training before and after results. This is thanks to its 360-degree design and neck training system that provides 4-in-1 benefits for mobility, prevention, recovery, and posture while applying resistance to the neck safely and effectively.
Performing exercises to relieve trigeminal neuralgia on our neck training equipment at Iron Neck can enhance your results so you can alleviate pain caused by this painful condition.
At Iron Neck, we also offer a more affordable option for those who just want to try neck training on a budget. Our neck training harness is made from high-strength, durable materials that can perform rotational movements with bands and traditional weighted neck exercises. The design of our neck harness promotes access to linear training, including up and down and side to side.
Using our neck training equipment, you can begin performing neck exercises for trigeminal neuralgia to produce the best results.
These are the top neck exercises for providing relief from trigeminal neuralgia to reduce stress and tension placed on the trigeminal nerve.:
- Forward neck flexion
- Cervical retraction
- Lateral neck flexion
- Look left, look right
- Neck flexion & extension
For more information, check out our blog for recommended neck training frequency and information guides on how to use the equipment to learn how to build neck muscles at home, how to fix forward head posture, and how to get a thicker neck.
Like our recommended top neck exercises for trigeminal neuralgia, our blog also includes the best neck exercises for cervical vertigo ,neck spasm exercises, neck exercises for dizziness, neck exercise for arthritis, and exercises to tighten neck to provide relief from various other neck conditions and symptoms.
Are There Other Exercises to Relieve Trigeminal Neuralgia?
Other than neck training, other helpful exercises relieve trigeminal neuralgia.
Yoga is a gentle form of exercise that can be beneficial in reducing tension and stress. The movement patterns of yoga increase blood flow to the brain and, thanks to its low-impact movements, can help prevent irritating trigeminal neuralgia.
Cardiovascular low-impact exercise can relieve trigeminal neuralgia symptoms by improving circulation and blood flow to reduce stress and tension. This helps to alleviate pain. Low-impact exercises, such as swimming and walking, are practical in discouraging aggravating the condition.
Massage for Trigeminal Neuralgia
A massage for trigeminal neuralgia and neck pain can soothe tension in the afflicted area. As trigeminal neuralgia is caused by the compression of the trigeminal nerve, striving to reduce the cause of the tension to the nerve is effective in reducing pain.
As the compression to the trigeminal nerve intensifies, so does the pain. Therefore, addressing the area by massaging out the tension can be productive in promoting pain relief.
Medications To Relieve Symptoms
Often, a doctor will prescribe medication to alleviate pain suffered from trigeminal neuralgia. There are a few medications that are most commonly used for this condition.
Medications for trigeminal neuralgia:
- Carbamazepine (Tegretol)
- Topiramate (Topamax)
- Gabapentin (Neurontin)
- Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal)
- Lamotrigine (Lamictal)
- Phenytoin (Dilantin)
- Baclofen (Lioresal)
Most of these medications are anticonvulsants, which are effective in alleviating pain concerning the nerves. Baclofen (Lioresal) is a muscle relaxant occasionally prescribed alone or with one of these anticonvulsants.
Surgery to Fix the Root Cause of the Problem
Surgery for trigeminal neuralgia is exclusively recommended for individuals experiencing debilitating pain from this condition and who have not been able to find relief from other methods, such as medication or exercise. Unfortunately, these surgical procedures are not often performed as the success rate is low and, in most cases, can increase pain rather than reduce it.
Surgical procedures used to treat trigeminal neuralgia include:
- Gamma knife radiosurgery
- Glycerol injection
- Radiofrequency lesioning (also called radiofrequency rhizotomy)
- Balloon compression
- Stereotactic radiosurgery
- Microvascular decompression (MVD) (also known as the Jannette procedure)
Other Treatments
Botox injections are occasionally used to help individuals suffering from trigeminal neuralgia. In these cases, the individuals have been unable to find relief from medications. Botox injections can help alleviate pain, though this treatment is not widely used as there is insufficient research to support it as an effective treatment method.
Most commonly, heat can provide relief from pain caused by this condition. The heat reduces tension in the afflicted area, improving circulation and blood flow to relieve pain.
Parting Thoughts on Neck Exercises for Trigeminal Neuralgia
Neck exercises for trigeminal neuralgia can be a productive method of providing pain relief from this debilitating condition. Though there are numerous causes of trigeminal neuralgia, injury to the neck or face is the most common cause of trigeminal neuralgia. This condition only becomes more painful as time passes, and the trigeminal nerve compression intensifies.
With Iron Neck’s top-quality neck training equipment, you can target the area by reducing tension and strengthening the neck muscles to demote continued nerve compression. Promoting continued results with our masterfully designed neck training equipment, you can finally achieve relief from trigeminal neuralgia.
Buy your neck training equipment from Iron Neck today to achieve pain relief from trigeminal neuralgia!