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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Roger Hinson, DC and Susan Brown, PhD, DC. Life University, 1269 Barclay Circle, Marietta, GA 30060, (770) 426-2636, rhinson@life.edu
Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN), the most common pain disorder of the face and one of the most painful afflictions known, is characterized by brief periods of lancinating facial pain. Once known as the suicide disease, TN effects women more often than men and the annual incidence rate increases significantly with age. TN may undergo spontaneous remissions but the frequency of pain commonly increases with chronicity.
Eight patients suffering from inadequately controlled TN were recruited for a 10 week study. All were under medical therapy at the time of enrollment and five had undergone unsuccessful surgery. Pain (VAS and SF-McGill), depression (Zung) and quality of life (Rand SF-36) were evaluated at four points; before and after a 2 week base-line and after 4 and 8 weeks of intervention.
Pain measures decreased significantly during the intervention period in all patients, with a decrease in mean VAS from 5.9 mm at baseline to 1.4 at 8 weeks (p=0.013) and in mean SF-McGill from 16.5 to 5.4 points (p=0.022). Zung Depression Scale mean scores also decreased significantly from 9 to 5.25 (p=0.048) as did 5 of 8 SF-36 subscales. Medication was discontinued by 2, decreased by 2, and unchanged by 4 patients.
Results from this study suggest that chiropractic may be of benefit to TN sufferers. Further study is needed to better qualify the efficacy of chiropractic procedures and to improve the evidence base on which clinicians and patients make decisions.
Learning Objectives: Attendees of this presentation will learn
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.