Trigeminal neuralgia: management of two cases with hypnotherapy

Tic douloureux, unlike other chronic pain disorders, exhibits a number of very specific features unassociated with either sensory loss or demonstrable neuropathology.(1) The etiology is obscure but various contributory factors have been cited, and the condition is considered an important cause of face pain. Although a variety of drugs and surgical procedures have been employed to control the symptoms, the results in many cases have been temporary with many adverse side effects.(2) For many years, hypnotherapy has been utilized as a valid tool for the control of severe protracted pain, and relief of symptoms has been achieved in many instances where other modalities of pain management had been inadequate. The author presents two cases in which hypnotherapy was employed for the management of symptoms associated with idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia.