I’d like to draw your attention to a disease that people suffer from that is so painful it’s commonly referred to as the disease that pushes them to contemplate suicide, trigeminal neuralgia.
Technical Portion
The trigeminal nerve is a cranial nerve (fifth) that divides into three main branches supplying the ophthalmic, maxillary, and mandibular regions of the face, hence the name TRI-geminal. Because of the sensory information communicated through this pathway back to the brain, any irritation of the nerves can cause intense pain that affects the face.
Nerves are responsible for supplying every single cell, tissue and organ of the body. Without nerves NOTHING in your body would live. They also transmit pain signals to the brain which allows us to know there is potential nerve interference in the body.
Symptoms
Given my clinical experience with patients under my care, the common symptoms experienced are as follows although this is not an exclusive list:
- episodes of throbbing and shooting pain to the face supplied by areas of the trigeminal nerve
- pain in the cheek, jaw, teeth/gums, mouth, ear, temporal, eye, forehead, and upper neck
- contact with the aforementioned regions of the head and face triggering electric shock type pain
- chewing or facial expressions triggering pain patterns
- sporadic or constant pain that can last seconds or minutes and sometimes does not subside without time
- increasing intensity of the pain that can last days
- commonly seen in women more than men
- rare experience in both sides of the face.
Imagine yourself having shock type pain signals constantly firing around your head for days and you can see why this disease is referred to as “suicidal.”
Solutions
The medical approach to this disorder is management through pharmaceuticals (my patients have reported taking as many as 8–10 pills a day to simply ‘manage’ their symptoms), nerve blocks (which offer only temporary relief), and in some cases surgery which is permanent and only exercised as a last resort. Given my previous comment that nerves literally control EVERYTHING in your body, you can appreciate why surgery is not often recommended as a viable solution but one can empathize with sufferers who choose this option out of desperateness.
Disclaimer: Please seek the advice of your health professional before undergoing any procedure as this piece is meant to be informational in nature.
Safer Alternatives
Usually people suffering from this disease state that they have searched for ANY form of treatment to help alleviate their pain. Many have tried both medical and alternative/holistic approaches.
I am merely offering a potential solution that has had significant success in my practice and my goal is merely to guide those patients searching for answers to the appropriate people who are willing to help them.
Chiropractic has been around for over a hundred years with the ultimate goal of alleviating the causes of nerve interference which inhibit the individual’s ability to live their life to its full potential. Chiropractors call this form of nerve interference Subluxation (different from a medical subluxation which is a partial dislocation of a joint or organ) and traditionally stated that there is always a cause to every dis-ease.
Trained chiropractors are the only professionals on earth with the knowledge and skill to locate and remove these subluxations thereby restoring ease in the body so that it can function, recreate and heal the way body is meant to work.
There are literally hundreds of techniques in chiropractic and I would urge people to not give up hope should one form not achieve the desired effects. I’ve always stated that people are better off under chiropractic care than not.
My Approach
I would argue my approach is not revolutionary. It came about in actuality from sharing and discussing clinical experiences and techniques with fellow practitioners of varying disciplines.
The first step is to acknowledge the individual sitting in front of me is a real person and not a label. I like to engage my patient to understand their health history and what types of stresses they have endured in life that lead them to this moment that they are sitting next to me.
Once WE (patient and I) believe that we understand each other, we dive into an explanation of what chiropractic is and how we can help. I assess their nervous system for signs of interference that is impeding their health and not merely focus on the symptoms. After all, the symptoms must have a cause.
One effective method of evaluation of the function of the nervous system is to assess the structural integrity of the patient’s spinal alignment. Thanks to years of research we have a better understanding now of the role the spine and nervous system play in the disease process.
X-ray analysis of the spine allows us to pinpoint and measure just how misaligned a person’s spine is and this allows us to decide on a plan of action to help alleviate the cause of their suffering.
Chiropractors pride themselves on their expert understanding of the anatomy of the body and nervous system. Since the nervous system is responsible for all life in the body, it can be argued that we are interested in the life of an individal and not merely their symptoms which leads to more labels (or diagnoses) often placed on them by our medical system.
The approach is simple. Locate the interference, remove it and allow the body to function in harmony. This is achieved by delivering a gentle yet effective force to an area of the spine and nervous system by hand or mechanical instrument in order to alleviate the tension on the nervous system and thereby restoring the body to health.
Up to now I haven’t identified anything unique from what most chiropractors do except I take it one step further. I located the branches of the trigeminal nerve and mechanically stimulated the nerves in order to restore the function of those nerves. This stimulation ‘above the atlas’ (meaning in the head region) has produced a result I think requires further research and examination. It could help explain why so many patients are happy with their care and report a significant reduction in pain and suffering.
There is no doubt in my mind that a body free of nerve interference can achieve balance, proper function, health and thus express its full potential.
Discover chiropracTIC. See how it can transform your health and life from the inside out.
Legal Disclaimer
This article is not designed to and does not provide medical advice, professional diagnosis, opinion, treatment or services to you or to any other individual. Through this site and linkages to other sites, Dr. Nenos Damerchie provides general information for educational purposes only. The information provided in this site, or through linkages to other sites, is not a substitute for medical or professional care, and you should not use the information in place of a visit, call consultation or the advice of your physician or other healthcare provider. Dr. Nenos Damerchie is not liable or responsible for any advice, course of treatment, diagnosis or any other information, services or product you obtain through this site.
Dr. Nenos has been a Hamiltonian since 1990. He completed his undergraduate education at the University of Western Ontario and earned a Bachelor of Health Science degree with Honors. It was in his first year of university that he learned of a profession called Chiropractic. At the time, Dr. Nenos was considering pursuing medicine. Shortly after speaking with many prominent chiropractors and eventually becoming a patient himself, he realized that there was more to this profession than just neck or back pain.
After deciding to pursue Chiropractic he attended the only English speaking school in Canada, the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC) in Toronto Ontario. He was actively involved at the college which ultimately earned him the Raymond Moss Award. While attending CMCC he was also honoured to receive a grant from the Canadian Institute of Health Research to conduct research in the field of anatomy. He graduated with a Doctor of Chiropractic Degree in 2008 and shortly after began practicing as an examination doctor in one of the busiest Chiropractic Clinics in the Golden Horseshoe Area. Shortly after Dr. Nenos followed his heart and decided to open Tree of Life Chiropractic in his hometown of Hamilton.
Dr. Nenos is actively engaged in the community. He served as Canadian Director of the Assyrian Medical Society for a period of time, a humanitarian organization dedicated to serving children, families, and their communities stricken by the war and famine in the Middle East. The organization’s leadership is based on accountability, transparency and honesty which is a reflection of his practice. He is also a runner and triathlete and competes mainly in half marathon distances (21.1 Km). Today, Tree of Life Chiropractic is blessed to serve patients from Hamilton and surrounding areas. He is also the health expert on the local TV show Hamilton Life and can be seen on Cable 14 producing content for his own health show. He is passionate about topics of health relating to the spine and nervous system, nutrition, mind, and exercise.
“My passion is helping people transform their lives by adopting a healthy lifestyle.”
~ Dr. Nenos Damerchie