For years, Marcy* lived with pain most people can’t even imagine.
She had been diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia, a condition often described as one of the most painful disorders a person can experience. Without warning, she would feel sharp, stabbing, electric shock-like pain shoot into the side of her head and face. Some days it happened while she was talking or eating. Other times, it came out of nowhere. Along with the facial pain, she also struggled with chronic neck pain and severe trigger points throughout her shoulders.
As an ER nurse, Marcy loved caring for others. Outside of work, she enjoyed hiking, reading, and spending hours crafting. But as the pain became more frequent and intense, those things slowly disappeared from her life. Eventually, it became impossible for her to keep working.
I never knew when the pain was going to hit. It wasn’t just uncomfortable, it would stop me in my tracks.”
Searching for Answers
Like so many people living with trigeminal neuralgia, Marcy searched everywhere for answers. She saw multiple physicians and specialists, completed physical therapy, and tried medication after medication. She underwent injections and even had a nerve stimulator placed, hoping it would finally bring relief. Nothing gave her lasting improvement.
I became depressed. Not only because I was living with constant pain, but because nobody could tell me why I was having it or what else I could do.”
A Different Kind of Exam
When Marcy came to Green Chiropractic, the team spent time listening to her story instead of just looking at her symptoms. Ironically, she came in for sciatic pain and mentioned, almost as an afterthought, that she also lived with trigeminal neuralgia. One detail in her history immediately stood out.
Years before her trigeminal neuralgia began, Marcy had been involved in two rear-end car accidents, both resulting in whiplash injuries. Like many people, she assumed she had healed. During her examination, however, our chiropractors found significant structural changes in her neck: pronounced anterior head carriage, a lost cervical curve, and a rounded upper back. These findings suggested her neck had been under abnormal mechanical stress for years.
Getting to the Root Cause
Trigeminal neuralgia doesn’t usually develop overnight. While there are many possible causes, years of poor posture, previous trauma, and abnormal stress on the neck can place continual strain on the muscles, joints, ligaments, and surrounding tissues of the cervical spine. Her neck curve was lost, her middle back was hunching too much, and her low back kinked to the left.
In Marcy’s case, the team believed those structural problems deserved attention. Her care focused on correcting the underlying issues through corrective chiropractic care, posture rehabilitation, traction, and specific exercises designed to restore healthier alignment.
Marcy’s Recovery
Over the following weeks and months, Marcy began noticing small changes. The stabbing episodes became less frequent, her neck pain started settling down, and the painful trigger points across her shoulders gradually improved. Most importantly, she started feeling like herself again.
“I finally feel like someone looked deeper than the symptoms. For the first time in years, I have hope.”
Today, Marcy is enjoying the simple things she had missed for so long. She’s reading again, spending time on her crafts, getting back outdoors, and no longer letting trigeminal neuralgia dictate her decisions. And she’s back at work.
What Marcy’s Story Means for You
Every patient responds differently, and no healthcare provider can guarantee results. But Marcy’s story is a reminder that chronic facial pain can have a much bigger story behind it, and that the first step toward finding answers may start with evaluating the health, posture, and structure of the neck.
If you’re experiencing symptoms of trigeminal neuralgia, contact Green Chiropractic today to schedule an evaluation, or learn more about our trigeminal neuralgia treatment.
* Marcy’s mame has been changed to protect patient privacy.