Chronic Facial Pain Disorders

Facial pain disorders can be defined as a type of neurological condition related to the sensation of the facial area. Arising from discomfort in the trigeminal nerves, various symptoms such as sudden electric shock, burning, and tingling can occur on the face. As a disease that directly affects an individual’s quality of life, causing harm to their work, education, and social relationships, it should be treated as soon as possible.

The face is a region that encompasses many structures such as joints, nerves, tissues, muscles, bones, and nerves. Conditions like sudden facial nerve pain or muscle pain can cause intense burning sensations in individuals. The factors that can cause facial pain include:

• Stress
• Inflamed tooth
• Temporomandibular joint disorder in the jaw
• Viral outbreaks like shingles, cold sores, and chickenpox
• Facial injuries, facial neuropathy
• Sinusitis
• Chronic muscle pain syndrome

Identifying the above-mentioned causes that lead to facial pain disorders is crucial in determining the starting point for the treatment program to address the issue.

Facial pain disorders are among the most challenging diseases to diagnose due to the symptoms they exhibit, making them comparable to many other health issues. In fact, incorrect treatments may be applied as a result. To successfully diagnose the disease, it is important to proceed step by step. The steps involved in the diagnosis of chronic facial pain can be outlined as follows:

1. Initially, various personal data about the patient, such as age, occupation, education, and dietary habits, are gathered. Subsequently, questions are asked about where the pain is first felt, how it started, whether it is continuous, and its frequency.
2. Based on the information provided by the patient, some physical tests are conducted. Reactions are measured through tests such as applying cold/hot to the teeth, applying pressure, heat, and various other tests on specific areas of the face. The main goal is to identify the conditions causing the symptoms.
3. X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, and various imaging options are utilized. This aims to investigate whether there are any bone issues, tumors, or other problems that could cause pain in the facial area.

In the case of craniofacial pain syndromes, following the above steps can lead to the diagnosis of the disease.

Primarily, facial pain disorders, including headaches, injuries, dental issues, infections, swelling, mental health problems, and many other reasons, can occur. In addition to solutions recommended by a doctor, direct cause-and-effect-focused methods can be applied.

For example, in cases of facial pain due to migraines, it may be beneficial to act in conjunction with migraine treatment to alleviate the resulting pain. Similarly, if a problem in the teeth is causing the pain, addressing dental issues may be necessary. Thus, effective results can be achieved by combining two treatment programs, both specifically for facial pain disorders and for the diseases causing the pain.

After the diagnosis of facial pain disorders, a treatment process begins, focusing on the patient’s age, occupation, habits, in short, their personal history. A treatment program is tailored to the individual, and a combination of medication and therapy is often preferred at this stage.

In medication therapy, the cause of the patient’s myofascial pain syndrome is determined, and a medication usage plan is created accordingly. In terms of therapy, patients are educated on coping with and controlling pain. In cases of suddenly developed atypical facial pain, efforts are made to help the patient remain calm and mentally strong to cope effectively.

In the treatment of facial pain disorders, one of the fundamental goals is to make the patient more conscious and stronger against pain. Especially in cases where pain develops due to depression and stress, it is crucial for the patient to manage the process psychologically. Therapies come into play at this point, teaching the patient important habits such as managing pain through breathing exercises, avoiding triggering factors in suddenly occurring orofacial pain situations.

The use of medication is also one of the preferred methods in combating pain. While direct medication treatment may not be applicable, it is possible to identify diseases arising from chronic facial pain and prescribe medication accordingly. For example, if facial pain is experienced due to depression, methods such as the use of antidepressants may be employed in this context.

Facial pain disorders are sudden-onset conditions with a challenging underlying cause. The extremely high intensity of the pain can leave the patient feeling somewhat helpless during attacks. When the right treatment method is applied by a specialist physician, potential attacks can be prevented or experienced more mildly.

Subsequently, the patient’s awareness of cognitive therapy methods after using medications will lead to a clear struggle against facial pain disorders. As a result, attacks will become more manageable compared to before the treatment, and they will not significantly impact the patient’s daily life.

Health issues like facial pain disorders cannot be resolved through alternative medicine or individual efforts. In this regard, seeking professional support is essential, and investigating the source of the occurring attacks is necessary. Once the necessary diagnostics for the disease are conducted, a treatment program directly addressing the issue is implemented, initiating an effective struggle against the pain.

At this point, the most crucial step for patients is to seek professional support. The importance of choosing the right doctor should not be overlooked as it is one of the critical factors at the beginning of the treatment. With treatments conducted by a specialist, pain can be brought under control in a short period.

To prevent facial pain, the patient needs to stay away from factors causing the pain. Especially in the case of facial muscle pain, stress, which is frequently encountered or somehow leads to pain, should be completely eliminated from the patient’s life. Additionally, it is important to resolve various health issues such as disorders in facial bones, muscle problems, and dental issues.

The factors determining the treatment costs related to facial pain disorders are not fixed. Naturally, numerous variables will shape the total cost of the treatment programs to be implemented. The elements influencing the cost in the treatment of the condition include:

• Patient’s age
• Habits
• Underlying disease causing facial pain
• Medications to be used
• Sessions for raising awareness about therapy
• Changing dietary habits
• Changing lifestyle habits causing facial pain

When a comprehensive assessment of the entire treatment process for the health issue in question is made, all these factors mentioned will directly impact the treatment costs.