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Facial Neuralgia: A Torturous Pain

Joette Calabrese, HMC, PHom M

June 5th, 2022  |  17 Comments

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Joette Calabrese

Oh.

My.

Gosh.

The pain from facial or trigeminal neuralgia can be horrendous. It certainly must be a curse on humanity! It can be so bad, in fact, that many sufferers resort to daily ingestion of synthetic drugs, even for years. And you know how I feel about those.

I wish I could tell you that there’s one big, fat homeopathic remedy that will always do the trick, but facial neuralgia is indeed rather tricky!

Granted, homeopathy does have a history of treating facial neuralgia with aplomb. But my, oh my, it can sometimes be trying to find the precise medicine for the precise TYPE of facial neuralgia. 

Let me explain how a homeopath would look at this condition.

The location of the pain will often dictate the remedy needed. For example, is the pain focused on the lower jaw or area around the nose, lips, eyes or ears?

Another consideration is on which side of the face the pain is located.

Then we must determine what kind of pain is experienced. For example, is it stabbing, burning, shooting along a nerve, cutting or jerking?

And lest you think that that’s all that needs to be taken into account when choosing a homeopathic remedy, hold on! Let me also throw in a few more factors to consider: When does it occur? Is it constant? Worse from touch? Worse from heat? Better from cold?

Okay. You think we’re done, right? 

Nope! More questions:

What brings on the suffering? What are the triggers? Cold wind? Allergies? At night, upon lying down? Did the pain follow a dental appointment or whiplash injury?

Okay. Okay. Don’t be discouraged. Indeed, there are ways for the at-home caregiver to tease this apart.

First and foremost, there is a Banerji Protocol for general facial neuralgia:

Having a protocol allows those who practice Practical Homeopathy® to eliminate the guesswork. So, let’s look at those remedies, shall we?

Hopefully, by now, you’ve learned through my blogs and Monday Night Live events that Hypericum is a marvelous medicine for nerve pain in any part of the body. Consequently, Hypericum should always be included in any well-stocked collection of homeopathic medicines.

I’ve not written about Tarentula cubensis here on my blog before. So, it’s a medicine to consider adding to your quiver. One of my team members experienced outstanding success using Tarentula cubensis 200C for her husband’s geniculate neuralgia (severe, debilitating, stabbing nerve pain in the ear caused by a blood vessel compressing a small nerve).

Doctors had no solution to offer except surgery. But utilizing this homeopathic once a week did eventually uproot his relapsing-remitting neuralgia. It took some time  — but the result was well worth the investment in time.

However, as I mentioned before, facial neuralgia (and the myriad ways it may present) can sometimes require a bit more digging to uproot the condition completely. And that’s what I love about homeopathy! There is always more than one way to skin a cat.

So, let’s look at another excellent medicine for facial neuralgia.

Spigelia anthelmia can be especially useful in cases of trigeminal neuralgia (severe, excruciating, sharp, stabbing, burning or shooting pains along the side of the face that often feel like an electric shock). We would consider Spigelia most often for LEFT-sided facial pain along the temple, eye, cheek and even teeth — pain so severe the entire area becomes highly sensitive to touch. If the neuralgia is made worse from cold, rainy weather, then Spigelia should most assuredly be considered.

For this condition, generally, Spigelia is utilized in the 200th potency a few times per day depending on the severity of the attack. And of course, we all know to halt the use of a homeopathic when it's not helping at all.

Now, for RIGHT-sided facial neuralgia, Magnesia Phosphorica 30 every 3-12 hours, depending on the severity is a good consideration. When warm compresses help this type of facial pain, that is a good confirmation of the need for Mag phos. And when activating the jaw (opening the mouth) triggers the right-sided pain, it’s more often than not a slam-dunk for utilizing Mag phos.

Mag phos is a remarkable medicine for neuralgia and cramps, but in my clinical experience, I have found it becomes even more impressive when dissolved in hot water! That’s why I like to call it “Mug phos.” (To clear up any potential confusion, that article discusses its use for cramps in a 6X potency — not the 30th potency that we are talking about here for neuralgia. But the concept is the same.)

If a sufferer knows they will require several doses over the course of a day, dissolving one dose (as stated on the outside of the tube or bottle) in a few ounces of hot water and keeping that mixture in a thermos nearby is a good way to use this medicine. A few sips every few hours for right-sided facial neuralgia is generally “just what the homeopath ordered” (to spin a phrase).

Now, before I close, one caveat about facial pain: Sometimes, a sufferer may think their facial pain might be caused by a dental infection, but in actuality, it’s neuralgia! Or vice-versa! It’s often very hard to tell because the nerves in the face and mouth can cause referred pain. We should always start with the obvious, but we have to be open to considering other options should we not find the answers. A diagnosis from a well-respected medical doctor or dentist can be invaluable.

And homeopathy provides many more medicines to be considered. Among them are Colocynthis, Verbascum, Hecla Lava, Plantago and Ranunculus bulbosus, etc., etc. But I can’t discuss them all in this short blog post format. As you can see, the details of symptoms do matter. So, I encourage everyone to own at least one materia medica in their homeopathic library to help discern which medicine is the best fit for their symptoms. In fact, there are some available online for free!

If you’re not quite ready for an intense deep dive into a traditional materia medica, I encourage you to consider A Materia Medica: Practical Homeopathy® for Busy Families. I wrote this book, containing over 150 of the most commonly used homeopathic medicines, specifically for you. In it, I present a description of each medicine written in plain English, accompanied by illustrative stories from my practice.

The more you learn, the more you can pass on the good news of homeopathy!

 

Warmly,

Joette Calabrese

 

P.S. If pain is a concern in your family, might I suggest my very popular course, Make It Stop! Escape From the Prison of Chronic (and Acute) Pain Using Practical Homeopathy®: Learn Effective Methods to Uproot Pain, Often for Good. In it, I cover all manner of topics from neuralgia to plantar fasciitis, headaches to kidney stones, sciatica to shingles and everything in between.

And remember — all of my Mighties (Joette’s Mighty Members) qualify for a 10% discount on course purchases. If you need assistance getting your discount, email contact@practicalhomeopathy.com for more information.

 

Facial Neuralgia: A Torturous Pain

 

I am a homeopath with a worldwide practice working with families and individuals via Zoom. I'm also a teacher and most importantly, a mom who raised my now-adult children depending on homeopathy over the last 31 years. I lived decades of my life with food intolerances, allergies, and chemical sensitivities until I was cured with homeopathy, so I understand pain, anxiety, and suffering. You may feel that your issues are more severe or different than anyone else’s, but I have seen it all in my practice and in my work in India. My opinion is that nothing has come close to the reproducible, safe and effective results that my clients, students and I have achieved with homeopathy.

Call today and learn how homeopathy might just be the missing piece in your health strategy.


Joette is not a physician and the relationship between Joette and her clients is not of prescriber and patient, but as educator and client. It is fully the client's choice whether or not to take advantage of the information Joette presents. Homeopathy doesn't "treat" an illness; it addresses the entire person as a matter of wholeness that is an educational process, not a medical one. Joette believes that the advice and diagnosis of a physician is often in order.


We've provided links for your convenience but we do not receive any remuneration nor affiliation in payment from your purchase.


The Author disclaims all liability for any loss or risk, personal or otherwise incurred as a consequence of use of any material in this article. This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.



 

17 thoughts on “Facial Neuralgia: A Torturous Pain”

  1. Dinyar M. Dalal says:

    Need to know Doses:
    How many drops of Tarentula cubensis 200c and Hypericum perforatum 200?
    Also, Spigelia anthelmia.

    Thank you
    Dinyar M. Dalal

    1. Joette Calabrese, HMC, CCH says:

      The dosage is either printed on the side of the bottle or in the directions from the pharmacy.

  2. Aye Prell says:

    Does it have to be liquid
    I wonder if you have to refrigerate

    1. Joette Calabrese, HMC, CCH says:

      It’s a specific protocol that if you choose to veer from may not deliver the same results as what is already known.

  3. Donna Woodworth says:

    Very timely. I have been suffering with burning nerve pain due to the inferior alveolar nerve being severed during a dental implant in 2015 (right lower).
    Always looking for answers to reduce the pain.
    Using hypericum.

  4. Claudia says:

    Any specifics for those who clench their teeth during sleep? My night guard works some nights, but most nights I still wake up having put severe strain on my muscles. It causes pain all around the temples and forehead.

  5. Bethany says:

    So glad to see you address this condition! I dealt with trigeminal neuralgia a few years back. Such intense pain!! A few days of China 30 and Bryonia 200 took care of it for me, but oh, you chose the correct descriptive word. It was very much like torture. Thank you for your blogs!

  6. Dixon Withers-Julian says:

    I just wanted to mention that I have had success with Mug Phos. in room temp. water. When practicing cello it really helps to sip along as you work, or at a rehearsal break have a Mug Phos “water bottle” :))

  7. Julie VanZandt says:

    Thank you, Joette, for addressing this terrible condition. My husband has suffered from it for 20 years. His life has been a nightmare. It turned everything upside down for our whole family and he has not been able to work regularly ever since it started for him. His entire days are consumed with trying to distract himself from the pain or get relief. He was told that surgery for his specific type was unlikely to help and it might make it worse So we have not been able to go that route. I started listening to your podcasts about a month ago – starting from the first one. After after listening for a week I decided to order a book about the Banerji protocols to see if there might be anything in there to help my husband. I was very happy to see that they did cover this condition, as you stated above. I’ve been trying to figure out where to get the tarentula cubensis 200C in liquid form. I was very happy to see the link that you posted above. When I clicked on it and went through the process, that store says that it is only available in a spray and not in the mother tincture. Do you have any other suggestions of where I can find this? I am located in the United States but happy to order from any country that ships to the US.

    May God bless you for all you do, Joette!!!

    1. Christine M. says:

      To purchase Tarentula cubensis at Helios, select “Oral liquid-23% alcohol.” Then select what bottle size you want and then lastly select the potency of 200C.

    2. Lexi says:

      Do you have an update Julie? My father in law has had TN1 for at least 1.5 years. Now TN2… I ordered the medicines for him. He is in such horrific pain. My mother in law is worried sick.

  8. Judy says:

    Would this protocol also be used for CRPS (RSD) which is similar but not in the face? It also causes very extreme pain.

  9. Fabiola Diaz says:

    Thank you for sharing! My mom has been suffering with face neuralgia for about 8 years with no real answers other than the only choice tradicional doctors tell her is pain killers. She refuses to live her life in pain and slowly killing herself with pain medication. She has been trying many natural treatments and will definitely tell her about this!
    May God bless you!!!

  10. Lisa says:

    I shared the protocol for trigeminal neuralgia with a friend who was really suffering, and it worked ! So very grateful to Joette for sharing this knowledge.

    1. Joette Calabrese, HMC, CCH says:

      Encourage her to join one of our online study groups. Perhaps the 2 of you might start a group yourself. My office helps people do this. We need homeopathy soldiers out there.
      https://studygroups.joettecalabrese.com/

  11. MaReena says:

    Staphysagria?

  12. Noone Jean says:

    Thank you for this info. I have suffered with right side TN for years. I take Gabapentin for it but sometimes it still flares up. It’s been bad lately. I have taken quite a few homeopathic meds, but have not tried the Tarentula or Magnesia. I will try them.

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