The Migraine Freedom Blog by Debbie Waidl

What The Nerve: Your Trigeminal Nerve's Secret Role in Migraines

The trigeminal nerve is something we’re all too familiar with, but we may not have all of the details we need. This nerve plays a big part in the pain that’s keeping you from living the life you want.

Think of it like the main highway of sensation for your face. It's the fifth cranial nerve and the largest one we've got. You can consider it the boss of your facial sensations.

The trigeminal nerve is responsible for the pain, touch, and temperature from your face to your brain.

When migraines strike, it's often the trigeminal nerve that is at the center of it all.

Understanding this can be a game-changer for us.

Understanding the trigeminal nerve is like having access to the playbook of our pain. It gives us the power to target our approach and find long-term relief.

We’re facing a powerful neural network that requires a tactical approach. The good news is that we’ve learned how to impact this using the migraine freedom protocol.

How the trigeminal nerve is connected to migraines.

This nerve connects to detectors, including your:

Facial skin
Inner lining of your mouth and nose
Connective areas for your muscles, bones, and teeth

Migraine pain can flare when the trigeminal nerve is activated, sending signals from the face straight to your brain.

When we experience awful headaches, they usually affect us on one side. This is because the trigeminal nerve, which is a set of three branches, operates on one side at a time.

Temporomandibular Join Disorder (TMJ) vs. Trigeminal Neuraliga (TN)

If you’ve been diagnosed with TMJ, many times, those sharp, fleeting pains may actually be trigeminal neuralgia (TN). However, with TN, you won’t experience jaw movements or popping that is associated with TMJ.

This understanding is crucial for finding a pathway to relief that actually works for your unique symptoms.

Before advocating for a solution, let’s ensure we consider the full picture of your experiences. You deserve that pinpoint accuracy in your care, and I'm here to help make sure you get it.

The onset of trigeminal pain

If you've ever experienced a sudden, electric-like jolt in your cheek during a migraine or cluster headache, that's the trigeminal nerve sending you an SOS signal.

If it’s not a sharp zap, it can be a deep, lingering ache that feels like a dental or sinus issue.

You may also feel an intense shock around your right eye.

Symptoms of the trigeminal nerve head pain

Let’s break down how to know if the trigeminal nerve is to blame for your head pain.

You may experience:

Localized pain to one side of your face
A sharp, stabbing pain sensation
Episodes of severe pain resembling that of a classical migraine
Naseua
Vomiting
Increased sensitivity to light and noise
Crying
Exessive salivating
Weep, reddened, or heavy-feeling eyelids
Tooth pain
Increased nasal congestion or runny nose

What activates the trigeminal nerve?

Recent research has shed light on a key player in migraines: CGRP (calcitonin gene-related peptide).

CGRP plays a role in many bodily processes, including migraines, blood pressure regulation, and tissue repair.

Triggers such as stress and lack of sleep can activate the trigeminal nerve, which sends out pain signals and releases CGRP, leading to migraine headaches.

Research indicates that people with migraines might have differences in the structure of their trigeminal nerve, making them more susceptible to these episodes.

Common short-term solutions.

Recent studies and physicians recommend the following methods for short-term relief:

A variety of pain medications to intercept the pain messages en route to your brain.
Anti-seizure medications (specifically for managing trigeminal neuralgia).
Muscle relaxants to reduce tension.
Botox injections.
Beta-blockers or calcium channel blockers.
Noninvasive neurostimulation (this involves handheld devices or implants for continuous relief.)

These strategies are part of the comprehensive effort to manage and prevent the debilitating effects of migraines, but what if you want a more permanent solution versus a band-aid approach?

A functional approach for a long-term solution.

We need to examine 6 critical areas to find the root cause of your pain. It’s all about taming inflammation, which is often at the heart of your relentless headaches.

Culprits to consider include:

Unbalanced electrolytes
Chronic stress
Our diet and nutrition
Lack of sleep
Lack of movement
High levels of toxins in the body

By discovering what impacts your threshold, you can make small but lasting changes.

Finding a solution to your migraines isn’t about overhauling your entire life overnight.

It’s about gently adjusting bits and pieces to work for you so you can find sustainable relief!

Imagine how it would feel to have less long-term reliance on conventional methods like medication and more days feeling like yourself again!

Book a call with me to discuss a personalized approach to living migraine-free!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Debbie Waidl is the Owner of In The Balance Health Coaching LLC, and Founder of The Freedom From Migraines Method™ & The Migraine Freedom Protocol™
She supports busy moms living with Migraines.

Debbie will uncover what is holding them back from migraine freedom so they can live their life pain and symptom free, work productively, spend the time they want with family and friends, and stop missing out on the things they enjoy.

A message from Debbie:
"I was once right where you are now. 100% believing there was NO WAY to end migraines and my only option was to learn how to live with them or find that magic pill that maybe would work for a while. If anyone told me back then that I could end my pain once and for all, I would have called BS and popped another pill!

Skeptical times 10 was my middle name for sure because when you try it all and everyone tells you they can help you and they don’t. You stop believing… you lose HOPE!

I now realize I was approaching my migraines all backward.

I was trying to cover up symptoms versus trying to end my pain."

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