Trigeminal neuralgia — ophthalmic branch
StarEssentials of Chinese Acupuncture (Beijing, Shanghai and Nanjing Colleges of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1980) — the standard prescriptions of the Chinese colleges.
Points
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Gall Bladder point above the eyebrow; local point over the forehead
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Extra point at the temple; local point
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Bladder point at the inner end of the eyebrow; local point over the supraorbital area
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Luo point of the San Jiao; distal point for the side of the head
Needling Safety
Cited hazards for these points. Tick what applies to the patient to see the cautions that follow from it.
No cited needling data yet for EX-HN5. No flag here does not mean no risk.
Treatment Principle
Relieve facial pain by combining points over the affected division with a distal point (no method is stated in the book).
Indications
Method
The book lists the points without stating a needling method.
⚠ Cautions
New facial pain, numbness, or pain in a younger patient warrants neurological assessment to exclude secondary causes (e.g. multiple sclerosis, tumour, dental disease). BL2 is close to the eye and orbit: needle shallowly and avoid deep or orbital insertion.
About
One of three textbook prescriptions for trigeminal neuralgia, here for pain in the ophthalmic (first) branch over the forehead and brow.
Rationale
Three points lie directly over the territory of the first branch, and TE5 adds a distal point on the Shaoyang channel that runs along the side of the head. The book gives no explanation for this appendix; the rationale follows the local-plus-distal principle it applies to headache.
Clinical Notes
The book gives this as a brief appendix to headache, describing a fleeting, paroxysmal burning pain in the face within the territory of the trigeminal nerve, without a pattern differentiation or needling method. It also offers ear acupuncture with points matching the painful area.
Sources
- Beijing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, et al. Essentials of Chinese Acupuncture. Beijing: Foreign Languages Press, 1980. Chapter III, Trigeminal neuralgia, p. 338.
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