Structure-based medical acupuncture for trigeminal neuralgia secondary to lateral medullary syndrome: a case report

Lateral medullary syndrome, a common type of posterior circulation stroke, typically presents with classic symptoms including vertigo, gait ataxia, hoarseness, and dysphagia. In several cases, it may also lead to ipsilateral facial pain consistent with trigeminal neuralgia. Current management mainly involves pharmacological or surgical interventions, which are often associated with adverse effects and limited efficacy.

A 52-year-old ethnic Han male patient with trigeminal neuralgia secondary to lateral medullary syndrome received structure-based medical acupuncture. After a 2-week intervention (six sessions per week), the patient's numerical rating scale score improved from 8 to 2, with a significant reduction in pain episode frequency. No adverse events were reported during treatment.

Structure-based medical acupuncture, as an adjunct to conventional care, may alleviate facial pain symptoms in patients with trigeminal neuralgia secondary to lateral medullary syndrome. It may represent an effective complementary and alternative therapy option. Further rigorous, controlled clinical trials are warranted to validate its efficacy.