NEURALGIA - PAIN IN THE NERVE

It may be severe and definitely along the course of a nerve, or it may vary in its extent and scope in many ways. The facial nerve has three branches, and pain may occur in any or all of them. This is called trigeminal neuralgia and when limited to the part along the cheek is usually known as tic douloureux. Pain over the eye is called supraorbital neuralgia and affects the nerve of the same name. Sciatica is neuralgia of the sciatic nerve.

The pains of neuralgia are sharp, stabbing, and come in paroxysms which may last just a short time but recur. Sometimes the nerve is so sensitive that merely blowing on the skin will produce a paroxysm of pain.

Pain associated with the nerves of the teeth is called dental neuralgia.

Many ways of controlling pain in nerves have been detected. Alcohol has been injected directly into nerve areas. Inhalations of various drugs that produce insensitivity to pain have been tried. Surgical operations are done, to cut or remove nerves. Vitamins are helpful in some cases and, conceivably, neuralgias are related to deficiencies of vitamins. Among the vitamins most frequently helpful are thiamin and vitamin B12.