Q Can trigeminal neuralgia be completely cured? I've been getting by on medication alone for years, and I'm curious how much Korean medicine can improve it.
A As long as nerve compression remains, a realistic goal is to reduce the frequency and intensity of attacks rather than achieve a complete cure. With consistent treatment over three months or more, pain attacks often decrease noticeably and medication dependence can be reduced.
Detailed Answer
Trigeminal neuralgia is often caused by structural compression from a blood vessel, so it is difficult to eliminate the compression itself through Korean medicine alone. However, improving the environment around the nerve can change it so that the nerve responds less sensitively to the same compression. In many patients, after 3 to 6 months of treatment, the number of attacks decreases, and they can lower their medication dosage or go longer periods without attacks.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
At Dongjedang, we take a stepwise approach to the Wind-Fire and qi-stagnation-blood-stasis states, working to reduce the inflammatory environment around the nerve and restore qi and blood circulation. We define recovery as a state in which daily activities are possible without medication dependence—a life in which eating, conversation, and washing the face are no longer frightening.
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