Complementary and alternative
Medicine (CAM) for TN relief

Acupuncture is a form of medicine practiced by the Chinese, dating from hundreds if not thousands of years ago.  It has been refined and developed during that time and is now recognised as an effective form of pain relief.  It has also been updated into the 21st century with electro-acupuncture machines.

Research is beginning to unravel the mechanism by which acupuncture works so that there is less reliance on ancient theories and a greater certainty of a beneficial outcome.

Thin, flexible needles are inserted at specific points through the skin to relieve pain and discomfort.  The needles are all sterile and disposable.  The body’s response to the needle insertion is to produce a range of different hormones and chemicals within the nervous system.  These include endorphins and serotonin, which, over a few treatment sessions, lift the mood and give pain relief.

Following a history-taking and examination the patient and therapist clearly delineate the site of pain.  The therapist chooses acupuncture points close to the problem area and also at a distance from it.  The distant points are often well known to be more powerful for their pain-relieving properties and also for mood stabilization.

Sometimes small electric currents may be passed through the needles to enhance the effect.  None of this should be uncomfortable – acupuncture is often painless and the electric current should be a pleasant additional feature.

Depending on the severity of the pain, treatments should be once every 5–7 days to establish control of the symptoms, which may take several sessions.  Once the symptoms begin to reduce then the time between the acupuncture appointments can be increased.  Finally, patients can have top-up treatments when the need arises.  However, all neuralgias are difficult to treat and the results are never guaranteed.  If the treatment is having no effect after 6 or so treatment sessions then it may not be for you.

There are very few side-effects with acupuncture.  There may be some sleepiness especially with the first treatment, and this may be for just a few minutes or last some hours.  There is very little bleeding but there may occasionally be slight bruising at the site of the needle insertion.  These bruises are not painful and fade easily.

There are a few societies which train acupuncturists.  Practitioners should be registered with a society or governing body.  The British Medical Acupuncture Society trains people already in the medical and associated professions.  Lists of experienced practitioners are available on their web-site: www.medical-acupuncture.co.uk.

BUPA, AXA-PPP and other health insurance companies may cover some practitioners.  The British Acupuncture Council teaches Traditional Chinese Acupuncture.  They can be found at: www.acupuncture.org.uk.

Some individuals have reported feelings of dizziness, slight confusion and headaches post-hypnosis. These effects are considered to be as a result of the neurophysiological effects due to the process of hypnosis and are no different than those that have been reported by other relaxation and imagery based procedures, such as meditation and guided imagery.

Hypnosis may help TN sufferers to manage their pain better, and increase their sense of coping with their pain. Whilst hypnosis may help to reduce the intensity or severity of TN pain, the pain experience can also be helped, for example by hypnotically managing the emotional distress and impact the TN pain has on one’s life. Furthermore, it may be helpful for TN patients to learn to use self-hypnosis as a life skill, so that they can manage their pain on long-term basis.

This is a simple mental technique which anybody can learn and which has been practised for thousands of years. It requires no specialist equipment and can be carried out virtually anywhere. It basically involves using breathing and thought-control techniques in order to enter a state of deep relaxation. The more the techniques are practised, the easier and quicker it becomes to enter this state. Many claims are made for the benefits of meditation, which come from the relaxation and tranquillity that it instils in those who practise it regularly. The most well-known advocate of the technique is possibly the ‘Transcendental Meditation’ organisation: http://uk.tm.org which has certified teachers throughout the UK. You will have to pay to be trained by them.

There are also tapes, DVDs and books to teach yourself and learn more about the techniques involved. Here is an example specifically developed as a tool to aid relaxation for anyone suffering from chronic pain: Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief by Jon Kabat-Zinn—2 CDs with ASIN: B0037B7EY4.