Glossary for Neuropathic Facial Pain, including Trigeminal Neuralgia

Ablative. Removal, separation or cutting of a structure.

Acoustic neuroma. A tumor growing on the acoustic or hearing nerve. This can sometimes cause TN when the nearby tumor pushes a blood vessel onto the trigeminal nerve.

Acromegaly. A condition caused by increased secretion of the growth hormone.

Adhesions. Fibrous growths similar to scar tissue that forms at the site of tissue damage.

Aetiology. Cause of disease.

Allele. One of two or more contrasting characters transmitted by genes.

Allodynia.  Pain due to a stimulus which does not normally provoke pain.

Analgesics. Medications that relieve pain.

Anesthesia dolorosa. A  hard-to-treat condition that feels like a combination of pain and numbness. Sometimes occurs as unwanted side effect of some surgical TN treatments.

Anesthetic. An agent used to abolish pain.

Aneurysm. Weakness in a blood vessel that allows vessel to bulge and possibly rupture.

Anhydrous.  Dry.

Anterior.  Front.

Anticonvulsant. Medication that prevents convulsions or seizures.

Anxiety.  Feeling very troubled by worries or  fears. Often associated with physical symptoms such as dry mouth, rapid beating of the heart, diffculty breathing and a feeling of tensness.

Aplastic anemia. Potentially fatal blood disorder caused by damage to bone marrow. Rare but potential side effect of some anticonvulsant medications.

Arachnoid., arachnoiditis  A membrane of the brain. When abnormally thickened, it is a potential cause of compression on the trigeminal nerve and is then termed arachnoiditis.

Arteriovenous malformation (AVM). An abnormal growth of blood vessels that sometimes rupture without warning. These vessels can cause TN if they grow near and compress the trigeminal nerve.

Asymptomatic.  No symtoms or complaints.

Aseptic.  Not due to an infection.

Atlas. The top-most bone of the spine.

Ataxia.  Inability to walk straight.

Atropic.  Wasted, smaller than usual.

Atypical.  Irregular, not conforming to the type.

Atypical face pain. Facial pain with mixed symptoms and of unknown origin. May have some of the symptoms of TN but also others, maybe even outside the areas served by the trigeminal nerve. A newer proposed definition is “face pain of psychogenic origin,” or pain that is originating in the brain.

Atypical trigeminal neuralgia. A type of facial pain that may have some of the characteristics of classic TN (i.e. sharp stabs and trigger points) but also symptoms that aren’t common to classic TN (i.e. constant, aching or burning pain in addition to the stabs). Sometimes referred to as “TN-2.”

Avulsion. Tearing away of a structure, as in removing or cutting away a section of nerve.

Axon. Process of a nerve cell by which impulses travel away from the cell body.

Auditory.  Hearing.

Baseline.  At the start.

Bilateral. Referring to both sides. Bilateral TN means pain on both sides of the face.

Biofeedback. A technique in which people learn to control body functions such as breathing rate, blood pressure and body temperature by responding to feedback from electrodes that monitor changing body conditions.

Biomedical model of care . The doctor makes a diagnosis and then treats the condition or disease using medicines or surgery.

Biopsychosocial  model of care. The doctor makes a diagnosis and then provides treatment based not just on medicines and surgery but taking into account the patients social circumstances and their psychological approach to the illness.

Blind/ed.  The investigator and or the patient do not know what is being administered or looked for which is done to reduce bias.

Botox. A purified form of the botulinum toxin that, when injected, can partially paralyze muscles. Usually used in tightening wrinkled skin but it’s also being tried as a temporary TN pain-relief measure.

Bradycardia. Slowing of the heart beat.

Buccal.  Inside of the cheek.

CT scan. An internal picture of the body constructed by a computer by piecing together a series of X-rays. Sometimes used in detecting tumors. CT stands for “computed tomography.”

Capsaicin. The chemical that makes hot peppers hot. Used in a topical cream, it sometimes is used to treat TN.

Case control study.  A study of  particular disease or factor  in which there is a control group that does not have the disease of factor being being studied.

Catastrophising.  Tendency to think the worst about situations.

Cause.  That which brings about a condition or produces an effect.

Causal.  Pertaining to a cause, directed against a cause.

Cauterize. To seal off, as in sealing off sections of blood vessels to stop or prevent bleeding.

Catheter. A tube used to drain fluids from the body, to introduce liquids to the body, or in the case of TN, to allow passage of a balloon to the site of the trigeminal nerve.

Cerebellum. Part of the brain that controls movements.

Cerebral cortex. Part of the brain that analyzes nerve signals and sends out responses.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). A fluid composed mostly of water, glucose, salt and proteins that surrounds, cushions and provides nutrients to the brain and spinal cord.

Cervix. The top vertebrae of the spine where the trigeminal nerve originates and through which the spinal cord passes to connect to the brainstem.

Cistern. Space around a structure in the case of the trigeminal nerve , the area around the Gasserian ganglion.

Cisternography.  Closed space filled with fluid so it can be seen on Xray, in the case of trigeminal neuralgia the Gasserian ganglion.

Clinical trial.  A special study.

Cluster headache. Searing, boring, come-and-go pain in the face or forehead thought to be caused by dilation of the blood vessels in the skull. Sometimes confused with trigeminal neuralgia.

Cluster tic syndrome. Combination of cluster headaches and trigeminal neuralgia.

Cohort.  A group with a particular disease or factor that are being follwed up for a longer period of time – it is prospective if planned in advance and retrospective if the data was collected before the study was planned.

Cognitive. Process by which we become aware of objects of thought or perceptions, it includes  all aspects of perceiving, thinking and remebering.

Cognitive behavoiur therapy (CBT). A psychological treatment that helps people examine the way they think and respond to situations. Treatment aims at learning more helpful ways of responding.

Compounding. A pharmacy technique in which medications are custom-prepared to meet specific needs of individual customers. Those who offer this service are called “compounding pharmacists.”

Computer tomography CT. Sophisticated X-ray which takes pictures of layes of the body at any depth.

Conjunctiva. Thin lining of the eylelids and the exposed sclera of the eye.

Contrast medium.  A liquid solution that can be seen on Xray.

Control. A standard against which experimental observations may be evaluated, matched control means that the experimental group only differs from the control group by the one factor that is being studied e.g. all groups are the same age, gender.

Controlled prospective studies or cohort studies. Studies that have been planned in advance and follow up patients for a longer period of time.

Cornea. Transparet part forming the front of the eye.

Corneal reflex. Eye closure reflex , protective mechanism to close the eye if it is irrated.

Coping strategies. Thoughts and behavoiurs that are used to mange or cope with stressful situations.

Cranial nerves. Twelve pairs of nerves that serve various areas and functions of the head. The trigeminal nerve is one of these nerves.

Craniectomy. Surgical opening of the skull necessary for brain surgery. The bone is not replaced after surgery.

Craniosacral therapy. Gentle manipulation technique somewhat similar to light massage that’s aimed at freeing the flow of cerebrospinal fluid. Some believe impeded flow of this fluid can cause face pain.

Craniotomy. Surgical opening of the skull necessary for brain surgery. The bone is replaced after surgery.

Cross sectional studies. A look at measurements in a sample at a particular time point.

Cryotherapy. Using cold agents to deaden or kill nerve fibers. Sometimes used to treat TN.

Deafferentation pain. Pain that occurs when parts of a nerve are injured to the point where they’re disabled. It’s usually a constant, burning type of pain.

Deep brain stimulation. An experimental procedure in which surgeons insert a thin electrode through a small opening in the skull into the thalamus, a part of the brain where pain sensation occurs. A stimulation device attached to the electrode delivers low-grade electrical signals in an attempt to override pain signals.

Demyelination. The process of losing or destroying myelin, the protective sheath around nerve fibers.

Depression. A feeling of sadnss and lack of interest in life. If severe can be considered an illness and needs treatment.

Decision aid. A method to help people make a decision about treatment options that involves both information and assessement  of risk.

Diagnosis.  The art of distinguishing one disease from another, clinical diagnosis is is diagnosis based on clinical signs and symptoms.

Diagnostic. Distinctive feature of a disease.

Diplopia. Seeing two images instead of one.

Dura. The waterproof covering that surrounds the brain.

Distally. Further from the point of reference. 

DREZ. Acronym for “dorsal root entry zone,” a surgical procedure done in the neck region to disable the origin of the trigeminal nerve in the upper spine.

Dysesthesia. A numbness or abnormal sensation severe enough that a patient considers it disturbing.

Electrode. Small pointed tool used to deliver controlled charges of electricity or radiowaves.

Electromyography. The recording and study of the electrical properties of muscles either merely to determine whether a muscle is contracting or not or to make more scientific observations of electrical activity.

Emboli.  Clot brought by the blood from another vessel and forced into a smaller one so obstructing blood flow.

Endodontist.  A dentist who specializes in filling root canals of teeth. 

Endoscope. A new surgical instrument that uses a tiny camera to project brightened and magnified images from inside the body.

Endorphins. Pain-killing proteins produced naturally by the body.

Epidemiology. The study of disease as it occurs in groups of people or even other populations.

Epilepsy. Disorder of the nervous system marked by seizures and temporary losses of consciousness or concentration.

Ephaptic transmission. Conduction across nerves at sites where it should not normally occur.

Ethnicity.  Many definitions – a group that perceives themselves to share social  and cultural.

Etiology.  Cause.

Facial nerve. A cranial nerve that controls most of the muscles in the face. This is a separate nerve from the trigeminal nerve, which controls sensation in the face and some of the muscles that control chewing.

Facial palsy. A weakness of the muscles of facial expression.

Fluoroscope. A fluorescent X-ray device that surgeons use to guide a needle or catheter to the right location in the body.

Foramen ovale. The opening in the skull through which the trigeminal nerve passes on its way into the face.

Fothergill’s Disease. Another name for TN. Comes from 18th-century English physician John Fothergill. Seldom used anymore.

Gamma Knife. A non-incision surgical device that uses Gamma radiation to cause precisely aimed damage to targeted tissue. Used to create lesions on the root of the trigeminal nerve.

Ganglion. A cluster of nerve cells.

Gangliolysis. A surgery to create targeted damage to a ganglion, usually to stop pain signals from getting to the brain.

Gasserian ganglion. The cluster of nerve cells where the trigeminal nerve branches out into its three divisions and exits the skull.

Gate Control.  A theory to explain how pain is experienced. 

Genetics.  The study of heredity and in clinical gentics it is the study of possible genetic factors that influence the occurrence of a disease.

Glial cells. Type of cells that the body uses to build myelin, the insulating sheath around nerves. Also see oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells.

Glossopharyngeal neuralgia. Similar condition to TN, only this pain is in the throat and neck. Causes are thought to be similar to TN but involving the glossopharyngeal nerve.

Glycerol. An oily alcohol substance that damages nerve fibers when in direct contact with the fibers.

Gold Standard.  The best possible treatment.

Granulomas. Abnormal growths as a result of irritation.

Hematoma. Bruise.

Half life.  The time to eliminate one half of a drug.

Hemiplegic.  Paralysis of one side of the body.

Hemostasis. Arresting of bleeding.

Herpes zoster. Also known as shingles, this is a viral infection caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. When it strikes the face, it can cause burning pain.

Hypesthesia. Medical term for numbness.

Hyperalgesia.  An increased response to a stimulus which is normally painful.

Hyper reflex.  Increased reflex.

Hypertension.  High blood pressure.

Hyponatremia. Abnormally low levels of blood sodium. Can be a side effect of some TN medications.

Hypothesis.  A supposition that appears to explain a group of phenomena.

Iatroplacebogenesis. The effect that the doctor treating the patient can have on a patient in helping to remove symptoms.

Idiopathic.  Refers to a disease or condition of unknown cause or origin.

Incidence. Number of new cases of a disease occurring during a certain period.

Infarct.  area of  death of tissue due to reduced blood supply which can be a vital area such as in the brain or heart where it is called a heart attack.

Inflammatory response.  A series of responses of the body to damage which results in swelling, redness, heat and pain.

Intracellular messengers. Chemical transmitting information within a cell.

Intraoral. Inside the mouth.

Informed consent. Based on a shared decision between physician and patient, with the physician understanding the relevant values of the patient and the patient understanding the nature of the disease and intervention, including risks and benefits.

Kaplan-Meier method ( survival curves).  This is an analysis that accounts for subjects who fail treatment as well as subjects who are censored (withdrawn either because of death or not having failed treatment . It enables the probability of an event occurring to be predicted. The data is most often shown as a graph.

Keratatis.   Inflammation of the cornea – front lining of the eye.

Lacrimal.   Pertaining to tears.

Lesion. An area of tissue damage.

Leukopenia. A deficiency in white blood cells, which protect the body against disease-causing microorganisms. Can be a side effect of some TN medications.

LILT. Acronym for “low-intensity laser therapy.” It’s a therapy using beams of highly focused laser light that’s being tried as a pain-relief measure.

Linac. Acronym for linear accelerator, a non-incision surgical device that uses high-energy X-rays to cause precisely aimed damage to targeted. Often used for tumors but sometimes for TN.

Lumbar puncture.  I nsertion of a needle into the back to tap out CSF for testing.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A device that creates computerized images of the body’s interior. Instead of using radiation as in an X-ray, MRIs involves a rapid series of pictures taken while the subject is inside a magnetized chamber. An MRI brain scan is painless and is useful in detecting multiple sclerosis and brain tumors.

Magnetic resonance tomographic angiography (MRTA). A type of imaging similar to MRI that can pick up even very small blood vessels. Gadolinium dye is injected into the patient’s bloodstream to enhance the image.

Mandibular. Area referring to the lower jaw region of the face.

Mastoid.  Part of the temporal bone which forms the skull.

Master.  One the muscles used in chewing.

Maxillary. Area referring to the upper jaw and cheek region of the face.

McGill Pain Questionnaire.  A questionnaire to assess pain character and severity.

Mean.  Average.

Meckel’s cave.  A cavity made up of dura mater ( brain lining material) in which sits  the trigeminal ( Gasserian) ganglion and the divisions of the trigeminal nerve it is located inside the skull.

Median.  A statistical term and is the value above which 50% of the other values lie and below which 50% of the values lie or is the middle value in a series of values.

Meningitis. An inflammation of the membrane that covers the brain and spinal cord. It’s a potential complication of brain surgery.

Meningioma. A tumor of the meninges, the membrane that covers the brain and spinal cord. This can cause TN if the tumor pushes a blood vessel against the trigeminal nerve.

Microvascular decompression (MVD). A type of brain surgery in which the aim is to lift a compressing blood vessel off the trigeminal nerve and insulate the two with a small cushion.

Modality/ies.  A specific sensory entity e.g taste, or a specifc type of treatment.

Morbidity.  To have a disease/ or side effect.

Motor.  Muscle, nerve or center that affects or produces movement.

Motor cortex stimulation. A surgical procedure in which one or two small contact plates – attached to an electrical stimulation device – are placed on the surface of the brain over the cortex region. Stimulating this region with low-grade electrical current reduces activity in the thalamus, where pain is felt.

Multiple sclerosis (MS). A degenerative disease affecting the central nervous system. MS causes scarring of nerve fibers and leads to such symptoms as arm and leg weakness, numbness, double vision and impaired coordination and movement. Trigeminal neuralgia also sometimes develops when MS scars the trigeminal nerve.

Myelin. The protective coating that surrounds nerve fibers. It’s made out a layer of proteins packed between two layers of lipids (fats).

Myofascial pain. Dull, aching muscle pain of uncertain cause. When it occurs in the facial muscles, it’s sometimes confused with TN because the pain can be triggered by touching the area.

Nasolabial.  Area down the side of the nose and the lips.

Natural history of a disease.  How the disease would run its course if no treatment was given.

Nerve block. Use of a drug, chemical or surgery to stop a nerve signal from getting through to the brain. In the case of TN, these can be used for temporary pain relief or as a way to diagnose the exact nature and location of a pain.

Nerve fiber. A strand of tissue made up of nerve cells that carries nerve impulses (biochemical signals to and from the brain).

Nervus intermedius. A branch of the geniculate nerve. When compressed by a blood vessel, it can cause pain deep in the ear.

Neuraxial drug infusion. A way to deliver pain-relieving medicine directly to the spinal cord, using a battery-operated pump implanted under the skin.

Neurectomy. Surgical removal of a nerve or nerve branch.

Neuroaugmentation. Attempting to block pain signals by overriding them with a competing signal generated by an implanted or attached electrical stimulation device.

Neuroma. A tangle of poorly developed nerve endings that resprout following a nerve injury.

Neuromodulator.  Alters the way a nerve transmits.

Neuropathic pain. Pain that originates in the nerve, usually due to injury or disease.

Neuropathy.  Disturbance of function or pathological change in a nerve causing numbess when it occurs in a sensory nerve.

Neurophysiological.  The way that nerves function.

Neurons. Cells that send and receive electrical signals to and from parts of the body. These are the nerve cells that are stimulated to send impulses (messages) to and from the brain.

Neuroradiologists.  Doctors trained to interpret scans and MRIs who have a special interest in those images related to neurological disease.

Neurotransmitter. A body chemical that’s used to transmit nerve impulses from one nerve cell to another. Sodium and calcium are two of the most common.

Neurovascular.  Nerve and blood vessel.

Neutropenia. A diminished number of neutrophils, a type of white blood cell needed to fight infections. Can be a side effect of some TN  medications.

NICO.  Acronym for “neuralgia-inducing cavitational osteonecrosis,” a controversial type of facial pain that may be confused with TN. Presumed cause is a chronic infection of bone in the jaw that can damage the nerve branches in the affected bone.

Nociceptor. A type of nerve receptor that activate when there’s a painful stimulus.

Noxious insult.  A painful injury.

Occipito-mental Xray.  Xray of the skull taken from a particular angle to show up the sinuses.

Oedema.  Swelling.

Oligodendrocyte. A specific type of glial cell that the body uses to build myelin in the central nervous system.

Open label trial.  Clinical trial in which patient and doctor are aware of the intervention being evaluated.

Ophthalmic. Area referring to the region of the face around the eyes.

Opioids. Pain-killing agents that originate from the poppy flower and its product opium. Morphine and codeine were two of the earliest. These are sometimes used to treat persistent face pains that haven’t responded to other therapies.

Orofacial. Area of the face around the mouth.

Orthopontomogram (OPG).  An xray showing both upper and lower jaws as well as all the teeth.

Otitis media. Inflammation of the middle ear.

Palsy.  Paralysis.

Pain threshold. The point at which an applied, escalating sensory stimulus (heat, cold, pressure, pin-prick, etc.) is reported by a person as pain.

Pain tolerance. The reaction of a person to reported pain after it has crossed the pain threshold.

Pancytopenia. Abnormal decrease in all types of blood cells. Can be a side effect of some TN medications.

Paratrigeminal neuralgia. Throbbing headache-like pain in the upper branch of the trigeminal nerve, thought to be caused either by an inflammation or infection of the nerve. Also called “Raeder’s syndrome.”

Paresthesia. An unusual sensation that may be described as “tingling,” “crawling” or “pins and needles.” Often accompanies mild numbness.  An abnormal sensation whether spontaneous or evoked.  Not unpleasant.

Pathogen. A disease producing organism.

PEMF. Acronym for “pulsed electromagnetic field.” This is a device that generates wave-like charges called electromagnetic fields. The changing polarity of this magnetic device has been shown to help fractured bones heal and is being tried in treating pain.

Percutaneous. Through the skin. When referring to “percutaneous procedures” in treating TN, it means a type of surgery in which the surgeon inserts a needle or electrode through the cheek as opposed to entering the skull.

Peripheral nerves. Nerves outside the brain and spinal cord. In the case of TN, these include the many branches of the trigeminal nerve that serve the teeth, gums and other parts of the face.

Petrous.  Part of the skull bones wwhich resemble a rock.

Phenotype. The entire physical, biochemical and phsysiological make up of an individual as determined by genetics and environment. 

Polymorphism.  The occurrence toghther in the same population of two or more genetically determined phenotypes in such proportions that the rarest of them cannot be maintained merely by recurrent mutation.

Pons. Part of the brain to which the trigeminal nerve is connected.

Post-herpetic neuralgia. A type of facial pain caused by damage from the herpes zoster (chicken-pox) virus. Can occur after a bout of shingles.

Posterior- anterior Xray.  Of the skull is a standard view of the skull.

Posterior fossa. Hollow in the back of the skull where the brain stem of the brain lies and area where the trigeminal nerve emerges from the brain.

Post-traumatic neuralgia. A type of facial pain caused by physical damage to the trigeminal nerve and/or its branches.

Preganglionic. Situated proximal to the a ganglion, in the trigeminal nerve means before the Gasserian  ganglion.

Pretrigeminal neuralgia. A precursor to TN marked by more of a constant ache than sharp, stabbing attacks that are triggered by light touches to the face.

Prevalence. The total number of cases of a disease at a certain time in a particular place.

Prognosis.  Forecast as to the probable outcome  of a disease.

Proprioception.  Position sense.

Prostaglandins. Hormones that kick into action to help fight infections, specifically by creating pain, inflammation and fever that causes us to reduce activity and allow our body’s energy to focus on stopping the infection.

Protocol.  An experiment.

Psychogenic. Pain that originates in the brain.

Pulmonary.  Lung.

Race.  A group of people who share a set of physical charactertistcs.

Radiofrequency. Use of generated heat through an electrode to cause selected damage to tissue. One type of surgical treatment for TN.

Radiographer.   Staff specialy trained to carry out scans and MRIs, not medical doctors.

Radiosurgery. The use of radiation devices to treat diseases and disorders without having to cut into tissue. Two examples of devices used in treating TN are Gamma Knife and Linac.

Random.   Purely by chance.

Randomised controlled trial, RCT.  Aims to reduce bias towards the new treatment being used by keeping both doctor and patient blinded as to which is the new treatment.

Receptors. Cells that are attached to nerve fibers that monitor the environment in, on and around the body for changes.

Refractory.  Does not respond.

Remyelination. The process of rebuilding lost or damaged myelin, the protective sheath around nerve fibers.

Retrospective studies or case series.  Those studies in which data is extracted from medical notes some time after they were first collected and then analysed.

Risk. The possibility of suffering harm or loss.

Root canal. An oral surgery in which the nerve is removed from an inflamed tooth.

Root entry zone.  Section of the trigeminal nerve near the brain stem at which point the myelin covering changes.

Rhizotomy. A surgery to cut or damage a nerve root so as to interfere with the transmission of pain signals to the brain.

Schwann cell. A type of glial cell that the body uses to build myelin in nerves outside the central nervous system.

Sensory.  Pertaining to sensation.

Shared Decision-Making.   Presents patients with evidence-based, unbiased views of their healthcare options, and encourages patients to work with their doctors to choose the healthcare options that are right for them.

Sociodemographic.  Details of individuals social circumstances.

Somatosensory.  Senations of the body.

Stylet.  Small needle.

Suprathreshold stimulation.  Above the normal threshold at which it would be stimulated.

Surrogate outcomes.  Measured outcomes indirectly.

Survival curves.  See Kaplan Meier.

Stereotactic. Guided by X-ray view or similar scanning device. A way for TN surgeons to be guided to precise, three-dimensional locations in the skull and face.

Subluxation. Chiropractic term that means one or more vertabrae are out of their proper alignment.

SUNCT. Acronym for “short-lasting, unilateral, neuralgiform headaches with conjunctival injection and tearing.” Sometimes confused with TN, it’s a sharp, come-and-go pain centering around the eye along with a red eye, tearing and a runny nose. Believed to be caused by an inflammation of blood vessels around the eye.

Symptomatic.  Any subjective evidence of disease perceived by a patient which indicates some bodily or mental state.

Symptomatic trigeminal neuralgia. Trigeminal nerve pain that occurs as a result of another condition, such as multiple sclerosis or a tumor.

Synapse. Gaps between nerve fibers that nerve impulses must jump to continue on.

Systematic review.  A rigorous process of finding every single clinical study on the given topic, and then critically appraising this data and only using the high quality studies to make observations in terms of treatment.

Systemic. Whole body.

Tarsorrhaphy.  Operation for suturing together a part or all of the upper and lower eyelids to protect the cornea.

Temporal arteritis. Aching, throbbing and sometimes burning pain in the temple area caused by an inflamed artery in that area. Sometimes confused with TN.

TENS unit. A device that delivers regular, low-grade electrical signals that distract or override pain signals. TENS stands for “transcutaneous electrical stimulation.”

Thermocoagulation. Using heat to create tissue injury. It’s the technique used in the radiofrequency lesioning surgery used to treat TN.

Thalamus. The part of the brain that relays messages between various parts of the body and the appropriate other part of the brain. It’s kind of the brain’s “central switching station.”

Thrombocytopenia. Abnormally low blood platelets, which are needed for clotting. Can be a side effect of some TN medications.

Tic douloureux. Another name for trigeminal neuralgia. Means “painful spasm” in French.

TMJ/TMD. Pain in the jaw joint sometimes confused with TN. The jaw joint is the temporomandibular joint.

Transconjunctival therapy. Medicine that’s delivered by drops or creams in the eye. The conjunctiva is the tissue around the eye.

Trigeminal neuritis. An inflammation of the trigeminal nerve and/or its branches.

Trigeminal nucleus. The origin of the trigeminal nerve in the top three bones of the spinal column (the upper-cervical spine).

Trigger.  Point often at the end of a nerve which if touched results in pain.

Trismus.  Spasm of the muscles opening the mouth.

Tumor.  A growth  of tissue, if uncontrolled and progressive called malignant if under control called benign.

Vertigo. The illusion of movement and a feeling that the outside world is rotating round, not the same as dizziness.

Visceral.  Any large internal organ.