ABSTRACT: 

Responsible for  the sensory stimuli of the viscerocranium, the 5th pair of cranial nerves, called the trigeminal nerve due to its 3 branches, is a mixed-function nerve. The diagnosis of Trigeminal Neuralgia is directly related to the symptoms reported by the patient during the anamnesis. The right treatment depends on the correct diagnosis. The exact etiology of TN is still unknown. It affects around 4 to 13 individuals per 100,000 and although it seems to be a neuropathy with a low incidence, it is the most common among facial pain syndromes. A retrospective cross-sectional observational study was carried out. We used data on laser therapy treatment for Trigeminal Neuralgia, received and treated at the Laser Clinic of the Faculty of Dentistry of the Federal University of Bahia, from 2003 to 2022. A total of 119 patients with a diagnosis of Trigeminal Neuralgia were treated, most of them with unilateral pain (89%). After diagnosis, the initial irradiation protocol was determined individually. The laser frequency applied was 808 nm (infrared) due to its greater ability to penetrate and activate chromophores in nerve and bone structures. The amount of energy applied varies from case to case, usually starting with 2 or 3 J per point, which is indicated for cases of regeneration and analgesia. The final status of the treatment is based on the patient’s score according to the visual analog scale, where 10 is the highest pain threshold and 0 is no pain. 65% of the patients related no pain or ate at least under 3 grades before the first degree Laser phototherapy is an effective means of recovery, reducing pain symptoms and improving the quality of life of patients with Trigeminal Neuralgia, and the infrared wave spectrum is the most suitable for this treatment.

KEYWORDS:

Facial Pain; Trigeminal Neuralgia; Laser Therapy.

REFERENCES :

1) Gambeta E, Chichorro JG, Zamponi GW. Trigeminal neuralgia: An overview from pathophysiology to pharmacological treatments. Molecular pain. 2020 Jan;16:1744806920901890.
2) Jones MR, Urits I, Ehrhardt KP, Cefalu JN, Kendrick JB, Park DJ, Cornett EM, Kaye AD, Viswanath O. A comprehensive review of trigeminal neuralgia. Current pain and headache reports. 2019 Oct;23:1-7.
3) BARBOSA, L.M.M. Efficacy of therapeutic drug options about carbamazepine in the control of pain in classical trigeminal neuralgia: a systematic review. 2019. 39 f. Dissertation (Master’s Degree) – Health Research Course, Centro Universitário CESMAC, Maceió, 2019.
4) Goss A, Ito K. Cryoneurotomy in the management of intractable trigeminal neuralgia. British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. 2020 Nov 1;58(9):1187-92.
5) Cruccu G. Trigeminal neuralgia. CONTINUUM: Lifelong Learning in Neurology. 2017 Apr 1;23(2):396-420.
6) Pedro M, López-Pintor RM, de la Hoz-Aizpurua JL, Casanas E, Hernández DG. Efficacy of Low-Level Laser Therapy for the Therapeutic Management of Neuropathic Orofacial Pain: A Systematic Review. Journal of Oral & Facial Pain & Headache. 2020 Jan 1;34(1).
7) Ebrahimi H, Najafi S, Khayamzadeh M, Zahedi A, Mahdavi A. Therapeutic and analgesic efficacy of laser in conjunction with pharmaceutical therapy for trigeminal neuralgia. Journal of lasers in medical sciences. 2018;9(1):63.
8) Ibarra AM, Biasotto-Gonzalez DA, Kohatsu EY, de Oliveira SS, Bussadori SK, Tanganeli JP. Photobiomodulation on trigeminal neuralgia: systematic review. Lasers in Medical Science. 2021 Jun;36:715-22.
9) NASCIMENTO, M.E.G.A.T. et al. Use of laser therapy as a treatment for trigeminal neuralgia: Literature review. Research, Society, and Development, v. 11, n. 11, p. e598111134213-e598111134213, 2022.
10) Pedro M, López-Pintor RM, de la Hoz-Aizpurua JL, Casanas E, Hernández DG. Efficacy of Low-Level Laser Therapy for the Therapeutic Management of Neuropathic Orofacial Pain: A Systematic Review. Journal of Oral & Facial Pain & Headache. 2020 Jan 1;34(1).
11) MARTINS, A.B.T. . Antinociceptive effect of photobiomodulation and metformin on postoperative orofacial pain in ovariectomized rats. 2019. 108 f. Thesis (Doctorate in Medical-Surgical Sciences) – Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Ceará. http://www.repositorio.ufc.br/handle/riufc/51978.
12) Kalhori KA, Vahdatinia F, Jamalpour MR, Vescovi P, Fornaini C, Merigo E, Fekrazad R. Photobiomodulation in oral medicine. Photobiomodulation, Photomedicine, and Laser Surgery. 2019 Dec 1;37(12):837-61.
13) Araya EI, Claudino RF, Piovesan EJ, Chiichorro JG. Trigeminal neuralgia: basic and clinical aspects. Current neuropharmacology. 2020 Feb 1;18(2):109-19.
14) Lambru G, Zakrzewska J, Matharu M. Trigeminal neuralgia: a practical guide. Practical neurology. 2021 Oct 1;21(5):392-402.
15) Araya EI, Claudino RF, Piovesan EJ, Chichorro JG. Trigeminal neuralgia: basic and clinical aspects. Current neuropharmacology. 2020 Feb 1;18(2):109-19.
16) Toledo IP, Réus JC, Fernandes M, Porporatti AL, Peres MA, Takaschima A, Linhares MN, Guerra E, Canto GD. Prevalence of trigeminal neuralgia: A systematic review. The Journal of the American Dental Association. 2016 Jul 1;147(7):570-6.
17) Pinheiro AL, Cavalcanti ET, Pinheiro TI, Alves MJ, Miranda ER, Quevedo AS, Manzi CT, Vieira AL, Rolim AB. Low-level laser therapy is an important tool to treat disorders of the maxillofacial region. Journal of clinical laser medicine & surgery. 1998 Aug;16(4):223-6.
18) Seada YI, Nofel R, Sayed HM. Comparison between trans-cranial electromagnetic stimulation and low-level laser on modulation of trigeminal neuralgia. Journal of Physical Therapy Science. 2013;25(8):911-4.