Facial pain. 'Why does my face hurt, doctor?'

In addition to sinus and dental abnormalities and stress, several different neurologic conditions can cause facial pain. These include various neuroalgias (trigeminal, vagoglosso-pharyngeal, cranial), carotodynia, and optic neuritis. Pain characteristics and results of specific neurologic tests establish the diagnosis. While carbamazepine (Tegretol) is the treatment of choice in many of these conditions, other drugs may also be beneficial. If drug therapy fails to relieve the pain, specific surgical procedures may be warranted.