Tag: Trigeminal Neuralgia Pain

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MLS Treatment Therapy

So what is MLS Treatment Therapy, and how can it help sufferers of trigeminal neuralgia?

What is a Multi Wave Locked System?

The Multiwave Locked System (MLSÂź) is a new patented LLLT system that combines 905nm pulsed emissions with 808nm continuous emissions.I

It was developed by ASA Laser to help overcome some of the limitations on previous LLLT systems. The aim is to produce simultaneous actions on pain, inflammation and oedema. With the MLSŸ system it is possible to achieve strong anti-inflammatory, anti-oedema and analgesic effects simultaneously and in a short period of time.

The unique synchronised laser beam delivers a balance of the two wavelengths and powers providing safe and effective delivery. The optical design of the delivery system transfers energy up to 3 – 4 cm deep to effect tissue at a cellular level. The synchronised wave results in a synergistic effect where both the analgesic and anti-oedema effects are greater than if two single lasers had been used.

Research suggests for lasting effects from MLS Laser you will likely require 5-6 treatments depending on how your condition responds. Often you will experience a noticeable improvement after just 2 treatments.

For further information about the technology please See Here

This technology has been utilised for a number of years and research has been undertaken  Successful treatment for neuropathic pain with MLSŸ: a case study.

Some clinics use different terminology, however the MLS is used to deliver the treatment.

How does it work?

MLS Laser Therapy is a medical breakthrough therapeutic device with unparalleled applications and treatment outcomes. The laser works by converting light into biochemical energy, resulting in normal cell function, which causes symptoms (PAIN) to reduce significantly.

The primary biological action of PBM (MLS) Therapy results from stimulation of cellular transport mechanisms in the mitochondria, cell membranes and epithelial tissues. This action causes the release of vasodilating chemicals, the stimulation of DNA and RNA (building blocks) synthesis, an increase in enzyme production, normalisation of tissue Ph and increased ATP production (healing of the cells from the inside).

 

10 BENEFITS OF MLS LASER THERAPY

  1. Anti-inflammatory: MLS Laser Therapy has anti-oedema effect as it causes vasodilation, but also because it activates the lymphatic drainage system which drains swollen areas. As a result, there is reduction in swelling caused by bruising or inflammation.
  2. Analgesic: MLS Laser Therapy has a beneficial effect on nerve cells, it blocks pain transmitted by these cells to the brain which decreases nerve sensitivity.  Also, due to the decreased inflammation, there is less oedema and less pain.  Another pain blocking mechanism involves the production of high levels of pain killing chemicals such as endorphins and enkephalin from the brain and adrenal gland.
  3. Accelerated Tissue Repair and Cell Growth: Photons of light from the laser penetrate deeply into tissue and accelerate cellular reproduction and growth.  The laser light increases the energy available to the cell so the cell can take on nutrients faster and get rid of waste products.  As a result of exposure to laser light, cells are repaired faster.
  4. Improved Vascular Activity: Laser light will significantly increase the formation on new capillaries in damages tissue which speeds up the healing process, closes wounds quickly and reduces scar tissue.  Additional benefits include acceleration of angiogenesis, which causes temporary vasodilation and increase in the diameter of blood vessels.
  5. Increases Metabolic Activity: MSL Laser Therapy creates higher outputs of specific enzymes, greater oxygen and food particles loads for blood cells.
  6. Trigger Points and Acupuncture Points: MLS Laser Therapy stimulates muscle trigger points and acupuncture points on a non-invasive basis providing musculoskeletal pain relief.
  7. Reduced Fibrous Tissue Formation: MLS Laser Therapy reduces the formation of scar tissue following tissue damage from cuts, scratches, burns or surgery.
  8. Improved Nerve Function: Slow recovery of nerve functions in damaged tissue can result in numbness and impaired limbs.  Laser light speeds the process of nerve cell reconnection and increase the amplitude of action potentials to optimise muscle healing.
  9. Immuno-regulation:Laser Light has a direct effect on immunity status by stimulating immunoglobulins and lymphocytes.  Laser emissions are absorbed by chromophores (molecule enzymes) that react to laser light.  Upon exposure to the laser, the enzyme flavomononucleotide is activated and starts the production of ATP (adenosine-triphosphate), which is the major carrier of cell energy and the energy source for all chemicals reactions in the cells.
  10. Faster Wound Healing: Laser light stimulates fibroblast development in damaged tissue. Fibroblasts are the building blocks of collagen, which is the essential protein required to replace old tissue or to repair tissue injuries.  As a result, Laser Therapy is effective post surgically and in the treatment of open wounds and burns.

An interesting  in depth article covering every thing you need to know about MLS laser treatment in America, the history, the believers, the skeptics, the medical profession, the politicians and the people who use it

 Does it really work – blog

Pain clinics around Australia are now using this technology see below for examples – please note we do not recommend providers and suggest you discuss any new treatment options with your medical practitioners.

Introducing MLS Laser Therapy The first of its kind on the Central Coast

 

MLS Laser Therapy

Latest Technology

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4 What to Do When Your Surgeon Says There is Nothing Left to Do

FACIAL PAIN: A 21st CENTURY GUIDE 4 What to Do When Your Surgeon Says There is Nothing Left to Do For People with Trigeminal Neuralgia Neuropathic Pain By Jeffrey A. Brown, MD (USA) You think you will have a microvascular decompression (MVD), but there is no compression. Your pain returned after your MVD, and your doctor […]
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Facial Pain Diagnosis Tool Q&A – Dr. Kim Burchiel

Walking the path of facial pain  diagnosis for Trigeminal Neuralgia is not easy.  We know that many sufferers of Trigeminal Neuralgia struggle getting across to their medical practitioners where there pain is and how it feels for them.

  • The following information was published by the FPA in 2021 but is so relevant

Facial Pain Association

Neuropathic facial pain is diagnosed almost exclusively by the individual’s description of the symptoms. Dr. Kim Burchiel developed a list of questions to help doctors determine exactly which classification may describe a patient’s pain. You may want to complete the Burchiel Questionnaire for your physician as a way of helping to determine the correct pain classification. This questionnaire in the hands of experienced neurologists and neurosurgeons can be very powerful

 

Dr. Kim Burchiel, an OHSU neurosurgeon and one of the world’s leading experts on facial pain, talks with Shirley McCartney, Ph.D., about the facial pain diagnostic tool he developed.

McCartney is the director of clinical research at the OHSU School of Medicine’s Department of Neurological Surgery. She and Dr. Burchiel have worked together on many facial pain studies

Read the interview here

The questions that have been developed can be found below for your reference

QUESTIONS

1) When you have pain, is it predominately in your face (i.e. forehead, eye, cheek, nose, upper/lower jaw, lips, etc.)?

2) Do you have pain just on one side of your face?

3) Is your pain either entirely or mostly brief (seconds to minutes) and unpredictable sensations (electrical, shocking, stabbing, shooting)?

4) Do you have constant background facial pain (aching, burning, throbbing, stinging)?

5) Do you have any constant facial numbness?

6) Can your pain start by something touching your face (e.g. by eating, washing your face, shaving, brushing teeth, etc.)?

7) Since your pain began, have you ever experienced periods of weeks, months or years when you were pain-free? (This does not include periods after any pain-relieving surgery or while you were on medications for your pain.)

8) Have you ever taken Tegretol, Neurontin, Baclofen, Trileptal or other anti-seizure drugs (AED’s) for your facial pain?

9) Did you ever experience any major reduction in facial pain (partial or complete) from taking any of these AEDs?

10) Have you ever had surgery for your pain? (e.g. neurectomy, radiofrequency, lesioning, glycerol injection, balloon compression, rhizotomy, microvascular decompression or radiosurgery)

11) Did your current pain start only after trigeminal nerve surgery? If this is a recurrence of your original pain after successful trigeminal nerve surgery, the answer is, “no”.

12) Did your pain start after facial herpes zoster or “shingles” rash (not merely “fever blisters” around the mouth)?

13)Do you have multiple sclerosis?

14)Did your pain start after a facial injury?

15) Did your pain start only after facial surgery (i.e. oral surgery, ear/ nose/throat surgery or plastic surgery)?

16) When you place your index finger right in front of your ears on both sides at once and feel your jaw open and close, does the area under your fingers on either side hurt?

 

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Emergency Department – Break-through Trigeminal Neuralgia Pain

This week the Association launched our Emergency Department plastic wallet cards – to assist sufferers with communicating when attending a hospital emergency department with break-through trigeminal neuralgia pain

The following study highlights why this is such an important issue – and very relevant to all of our sufferers

Treatment of acute exacerbations of trigeminal neuralgia in the emergency department: A retrospective case series

Affiliations

  • 1Department of Neurology, Centro Hospitalar UniversitĂĄrio de SĂŁo JoĂŁo, Porto, Portugal.
  • 2Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the response to treatment of acute trigeminal neuralgia (TN) exacerbations in the emergency department (ED).

Background: TN is characterized by recurrent and intense pain paroxysms. Some patients experience severe acute exacerbations requiring ED presentation. The optimal management of these episodes is not well established.

Methods: We present a case series of TN exacerbations in adults who presented to the ED of a tertiary centre from January 2008 to December 2020. We analysed demographic and clinical data, including pharmacological management in the ED. The primary outcome was pain relief, classified into “no relief,” “partial relief,” and “satisfactory relief” based on the qualitative description in the ED’s records.

Results: Ultimately 197 crisis episodes corresponding to 140 patients were included. Most were women (61%, 121/197) with a median age of 63 years (interquartile range: 52-73). Acute TN exacerbations were treated with opioids in 78% (108/139) of crisis episodes, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in 42% (58/139), corticosteroids in 21% (29/139), intravenous phenytoin in 18% (25/139), and intravenous lidocaine in 6% (8/139). Of the 108 cases treated with opioids, 78 (72%) required additional drugs for pain management. Intravenous phenytoin allowed satisfactory pain relief in 64% of cases.

Conclusion: In our sample, opioids were the most used therapeutic approach in acute TN exacerbations despite their low efficacy and subsequent need for further drug treatment in most cases. Most crisis episodes managed with intravenous phenytoin reached total pain relief. Prospective studies are needed to guide the treatment of acute exacerbations of TN.

Keywords: emergency department; exacerbation; lidocaine; opioids; phenytoin; trigeminal neuralgia.

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References

REFERENCES

    1. Melek LN, Devine M, Renton T. The psychosocial impact of orofacial pain in trigeminal neuralgia patients: a systematic review. Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2018;47(7):869-878.
    1. van Hecke O, Austin SK, Khan RA, Smith BH, Torrance N. Neuropathic pain in the general population: a systematic review of epidemiological studies. Pain. 2014;155(4):654-662.
    1. Zakrzewska JM, Wu J, Mon-Williams M, Phillips N, Pavitt SH. Evaluating the impact of trigeminal neuralgia. Pain. 2017;158(6):1166-1174.
    1. Headache Classification Committee of the International Headache Society (IHS). The International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition. 2018;38(1):1-211.
    1. Lambru G, Zakrzewska J, Matharu M. Trigeminal neuralgia: a practical guide. Pract Neurol. 2021;21(5):392-402.
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Emergency Department Plastic Wallet Cards

Following the webinar presented by A/Prof Arun Aggarwal in July, we brainstormed the possibility of providing a plastic wallet card for our sufferers to present to the Emergency Department of their hospital, when Trigeminal Neuralgia break through pain becomes too much to cope with. We worked with PR Design and produced a fantastic card which […]
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3.7 Motor Cortex Stimulation

FACIAL PAIN: A 21st CENTURY GUIDE For People with Trigeminal Neuralgia Neuropathic Pain 3.7  Motor Cortex Stimulation Olga Khazen, BS and Julie G. Pilitsis, MD, PhD Not all facial pain is TN. This is a common mantra of experienced physicians to their trainees. How to differentiate between TN, especially TN type 2 and trigeminal neuropathic […]
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Webinar – Prof Arun Aggarwal- presenting to the emergency department for pain management

When Trigeminal Neuralgia pain is too much: presenting to the emergency department for pain management

In July 2022 we were delighted to host a webinar chaired by A/Prof  Liam Caffery and presented by Prof Arun Aggarwal

Professor Arun Aggarwal is a highly experienced neurologist with expertise in chronic pain management.

Professor Aggarwal graduated from the University of Adelaide in 1987 and went on to specialise in neurology, rehabilitation medicine and pain medicine and is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, the Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, and the Australasian Faculty of Pain Medicine.

Professor Aggarwal completed his PhD at the University of Sydney on motor neuron disease. He currently oversees a number of research trials at the University of Sydney’s Medical School including trials on trigeminal neuralgia and chronic neuropathic pain.

Professor Aggarwal sits on the on the Medical Advisory Board of Trigeminal Neuralgia Association.

In this webinar he will speak on “When trigeminal neuralgia pain is too much: presenting to the emergency department for pain management”

You may download the presentation with this link Acute Pain Management for Trigeminal Neuralgia - A/Prof Arun Aggarwal

Our Association is working hard to provide clearly understood information, not only to our sufferers but to the medical and dental profession.  We thank all who logged in to watch the webinar live and they had the opportunity to ask questions and receive replies.

We would like to thank our Medical Advisory Board Members for the work they do and the advocacy they provide to all sufferers.  Contact details for our MAB members can be found here

 

012 – YouTube TNAA – Prof Arun Aggarwal – When Trigeminal Neuralgia pain
is too much Presenting to the Emergency Department

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Webinar – Prof Arun Aggarwal

Webinar News – Save the Date

We are delighted to announce the details for our next webinar – Presentation by Prof Arun Aggarwal – When Trigeminal Neuralgia Pain is too much : Presenting at the Emergency Department for Pain Management

Professor Arun Aggarwal is a highly experienced neurologist with expertise in chronic pain management, sport related head injuries and rebab.

Professor Aggarwal graduated from the University of Adelaide in 1987 and went on to specialise in neurology, rehabilitation medicine and pain medicine and is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, the Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, and the Australasian Faculty of Pain Medicine.

Arun completed his PhD at the University of Sydney on motor neuron disease with his primary paper ‘Detection of pre-clinical motor neurone loss in SOD1 mutation carriers using motor unit number estimation’ earning him the Australian Association of Neurologists Young Investigator Award.

He is a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Sydney’s Medical School and currently oversees a number of research trials examining Parkinson’s disease, trigeminal neuralgia and chronic neuropathic pain. Arun’s exceptional levels of experience and ongoing involvement in research and investigation continue to be widely recognised with over 50 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals.

Today, Arun sits on the editorial board of the Journal of Clinical Trials and Clinical Case Reports. He is the current Chairman of the ANZ Association of Neurologists Neuro-Rehabilitation Sub-Committee and on the Medical Advisory Board of Trigeminal Neuralgia Association.

Prof Arun’s contact details are below

A/Prof Arun Aggarwal |Neurologist, Rehabilitation & Pain Specialist| The Mater Hospital, North Sydney (svph.org.au)

The webinar can be accessed clicking – Zoom Link to Webinar

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3.2 Microvascular Decompression: Attacking the Root of the Problem

FACIAL PAIN: A 21st CENTURY GUIDE For People with Trigeminal Neuralgia Neuropathic Pain 3.2 Microvascular Decompression: Attacking the Root of the Problem by Kenneth F. Casey, MD [Kenneth F. Casey MD FACS is a Past-President of the Medical Advisory Board of the American Facial Pain Association. He is an Associate Professor of Neurosurgery and Physical […]
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Member Story – Gail Wells

Gail is a member of our Facebook group and she shares her story Hi there! I firstly developed pain behind my left eye. Debilitating pain! Unbearable pain, it was around 4.00am, and it woke me up with a vengeance. Two weeks previously, I had experienced cataract surgery and my first thought was that for some […]
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