4 Years of Incapacitating Facial Pain Resolved

Mrs. B.G., a 44 year-old female, suffered severe incapacitated facial pain for a four year period. Mrs. G was a registered nurse in Pittsburg, PA. She had become gradually affected by facial pain to a point where she had to stop working. The pain affected not only the left side of her face but caused her left eye to completely close.

The patient was treated by numerous medical doctors including a complete evaluation at the prestigious Cleveland Pain Clinic. As a last resort, the paws put on the new miracle drug Immitrex, for migraine headaches. At $40 per injection, this treatment brought only partial relief.

An evaluation of the patient’s problem revealed that her pain was caused by nerve entrapment from a spastic muscle. The patient’s 15 year-old ill fitting denture worn down to a point which reduced vertical support for the main chewing muscles. The resulting spasm put pressure on a branch of the trigeminal or 5th cranial nerve causing facial pain and closure of her left eye. Resolving the muscle spasm and correcting the loss of denture height brought permanent pain relief.

The deep facial folds are tell tale signs that the patient’s dentures are not supporting the muscles. Lost vertical support is also a source for a decreased airway.

Photo depicts lost vertical jaw height.