Radio frequency effects on patients with trigeminal neuralgia

Abstract

Background: Trigeminal neuralgia is one of the most painful conditions in the head and face. This study was carried out to evaluate the effects and results of RF therapy on patients with trigeminal neuralgia who referred  to Amir-alam Hospital.  Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study, 84 patients with trigeminal neuralgia pain were studied. Patients were diagnosed based on their medical histories, physical examination, and paraclinical tests. Patients are admitted according to internationally accepted criteria such as the International Headache Society (IHS). The patients responded to the questions in the questionnaire before and after the surgery. In this questionnaire, the pain level of patients is assessed by the Visual Analogue Pain Scale (VAS). Results: The mean pain score before treatment was 7.87, which decreased to 4.83 after the treatment. According to the results obtained in this study, 18 patients (21.4%) felt 4 levels of decrease in pain, as the predominant level of relief. Also, 15 patients (17.9%) did not feel any subtraction of pain after the treatment. Of  the 84 patients, only 1 patient experienced the reduction of pain as 9 levels of VAS, after the treatment. There was a significant relationship (P=0.000) between the pain severity and the reduction in the amount of pain after the RF in respect to the amount before the treatment. Also, in the regression equation obtained from the study  of the effects and role of patients’ age, gender, as well as the history of pain in patients before the RF treatment, only the gender of the patients had a significant relationship with the amount of pain reduction and comparison of its pre and post treatment. (P=0.054) and (B= -0.886) and (β= -0.216). Also, there was no significant relationship between pain intensity (P=0.761), age of patients (P=0.829), or history of pain (P=0.139) with pain reduction and comparison of pain intensity before and after RF treatment. During the  treatment of RF, very few side effects was reported. Conclusion: According to the results, RF treatment is an effective method for reducing pain in both short-term and long-term pain, in patients with trigeminal neuralgia. It is suggested that in patients suffering from the pain resulting caused by trigeminal neuralgia, due to drug resistance or who are intolerance to possible adverse effects, or in patients with lack of response from drug therapy, the therapeutic approach of RF is a  valuable way for pain relief.