Facial Pain (Trigeminal Neuralgia):

2026年7月20日

How Acupuncture May Help

L Acupuncture Clinic – Ikebukuro, Tokyo

Trigeminal neuralgia is a condition that causes sudden, severe facial pain. Many patients describe it as an electric shock, stabbing, or burning pain. Everyday activities such as eating, talking, brushing your teeth, washing your face, or even a light breeze may trigger painful attacks.

The most common cause is irritation or compression of the trigeminal nerve by a blood vessel. In hospitals, treatment usually begins with medication to reduce nerve pain. In severe cases, surgery may be considered.

At L Acupuncture Clinic, we take a different approach. We do not treat only the pain itself—we carefully evaluate the muscles, circulation, and overall condition of your body to identify factors that may be contributing to your symptoms.

During the examination, we often find tight muscles and small hardened areas (muscle knots) in the painful part of the face. These tight muscles may increase sensitivity and aggravate pain. We carefully locate these areas by palpation and insert acupuncture needles precisely into the affected muscles to help them relax. As muscle tension decreases, facial pain may also improve.

Many patients with trigeminal neuralgia also have significant stiffness in the neck and shoulders. Tight muscles in these areas can place additional stress on the face. Therefore, our treatment also includes acupuncture to reduce neck and shoulder tension and improve overall muscle balance.

Traditional Chinese Medicine also considers the patient’s constitution. If tongue examination suggests excessive internal Heat, we may select acupuncture points such as Waiguan (TE5) and Quchi (LI11) to help restore the body’s natural balance. For patients who tend to feel cold or whose pain worsens during cold weather, we provide treatment to improve circulation. When appropriate, hot stone therapy is used on the abdomen or lower back to gently warm the body.

Stress is another important factor. Emotional stress often causes unconscious muscle tension in the face and neck. Our acupuncture treatment aims to relax these muscles and support the body’s natural healing process.

Over the years, we have treated many patients with facial pain. Some people who had suffered from trigeminal neuralgia for many years experienced significant pain relief after acupuncture treatment and were able to return to a more comfortable daily life. However, treatment outcomes vary depending on each individual’s condition.

If facial pain is affecting your quality of life, we encourage you to consult L Acupuncture Clinic. We provide individualized treatment plans designed to meet each patient’s specific needs and help you achieve the best possible outcome.

Please note: Treatment results vary from person to person. We recommend that patients first receive an appropriate medical evaluation before considering acupuncture as part of their treatment plan.

Profile of Director Hiroko Abe

The director of L Acupuncture is a licensed acupuncturist with 31 years of clinical experience. She has studied not only in Japan but also in the United States and China, acquiring a broad range of knowledge and techniques in acupuncture treatment. Based on this extensive experience, she provides individualized acupuncture treatment tailored to each patient’s symptoms and condition.

In addition to trigger point acupuncture for pain relief, L Acupuncture provides acupuncture treatment for a wide range of conditions, including menopausal symptoms, autonomic nervous system disorders, post-COVID conditions, intractable skin disorders, Parkinson’s disease, hemiplegia following cerebral infarction or cerebral hemorrhage, facial nerve paralysis, sudden sensorineural hearing loss, and other difficult-to-treat conditions.