TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA –
BURNING MOUTH SYNDROME

Trigeminal Neuralgia – Burning Mouth Syndrome

Before exploring our innovative therapy treatment solution for Trigeminal Neuralgia – Burning Mouth Syndrome, it’s essential for you to understand the complexities of this condition. This document aims to address any questions or concerns you may have regarding our highly effective non-surgical therapy treatment solution.

Section 1: Understanding The Complexities of Burning Mouth Syndrome
Section 2: Understanding Fascia
Section 3: Myofascial Adhesions: Source of the Problem
Section 4: Causes of Burning Mouth Syndrome
Section 5: Our Treatment Technologies
Section 6: Our Therapy Treatment Solution
Section 7: Your Next Step

Section 1: Understanding The Complexities of Burning Mouth Syndrome

Burning mouth syndrome is one of the most challenging conditions facing healthcare professionals today, with no reliable diagnostic tests or clear theories as to its causes. However, if you review a comprehensive list of symptoms caused by an irritated or damaged nerve, you may conclude that burning mouth syndrome might indeed be related to an irritated or damaged nerve.

To begin, it’s important to note that two distinct nerves provide all sensory functions to the inside of the mouth, including the tongue, teeth, gums, palate, and salivary glands, as well as to the skin of the entire face and jaw. These two nerves are the trigeminal and facial nerves.

Trigeminal and Facial Nerve Anatomy

The trigeminal nerve and its branches provide sensory functions to the skin of the lower face and jaw, teeth and gums, tongue, salivary glands, palate, mandible (jaw bone), and skin of the chin and lips. The facial nerve provides sensory functions to the skin on the upper face, nose, eyelids, and surprisingly, a portion of the tongue as well.

Both nerves exit the brain through openings at the base of the skull and travel through the muscles of the upper neck, around the ear, and deep into the jaw before entering the jaw and face.

All peripheral nerves are comprised of both sensory and motor fibers. Motor fibers carry neurological impulses to cause muscles to contract, while sensory fibers carry impulses for every sensation we feel. Burning mouth syndrome is a nerve compression condition affecting the sensory fibers of both the trigeminal and facial nerves.

When nerves are physically compressed, stretched, or chemically irritated by agents such as chemotherapy, high sodium/glucose (diabetes), or decreased oxygen levels, they produce specific symptoms depending on the affected nerve fibers.

For example, nerve fibers that carry hot/cold sensations to the brain are responsible for the burning sensations experienced anywhere in the body, including the mouth (burning mouth syndrome). Other nerve fibers that carry taste sensations are involved when burning mouth sufferers taste metal or other unusual tastes, including blood. Dry mouth occurs when the nerve fibers controlling the salivary glands are affected.

Here is a comprehensive list of sensory functions that the trigeminal and facial nerve fibers are capable of sensing:

As you can see, the symptoms of burning mouth syndrome are the result of facial and/or trigeminal nerve dysfunction. The muscles and their protective fascia in the entire neck region develop problems that directly affect the pathway of the nerves as they pass through this tissue from the base of the neck and clavicle up to the face and jaw.

The key to understanding burning mouth syndrome and its causes is understanding muscle health and the fascia that every muscle is comprised of.

Section 2: Understanding Muscular Fascia

Fascia is an extremely robust yet pliable type of connective tissue, predominantly comprised of collagen and elastin fibers. It intricately envelops and safeguards every living muscle and nerve fiber (cell) within the body’s muscular framework.

While collagen provides the necessary strength to shield and protect these sensitive muscle and nerve cells, elastin allows for the essential stretching and contracting ability that every muscle and nerve requires.

The prefix “Myo” pertains to the fascia associated with muscles, derived from the Greek term for muscle. Remarkably, a single muscle may contain upwards of 500,000 living muscle cells, each encased within a protective fascial covering known as endomysium. Clusters of these fascia-wrapped muscle cells, numbering around 20,000 in each bundle, are encased by another layer of fascia called epimysium. Finally, the entire muscle ensemble is enveloped by a third type of fascia called perimysium, which gives each muscle its distinct shape.

At all three levels, fascia serves to bind and protect the living muscle cells. Muscular fascia has excellent blood flow, facilitated by the vascular network of the living muscle cells, which supplies essential nutrients to the collagen and elastin fibers within the fascia. This system ensures that muscular fascia is adept at absorbing forces exerted during muscle contraction or stretching, allowing for the joint movement and work that muscles perform.

Section 3: Myofascial Adhesions – Source of the Problem

Myofascial adhesions, commonly known as adhesions, are regions of severely hardened and adhered fascial fibers amidst otherwise healthy, elastic fascial tissue. The ratio of collagen and elastin changes, resulting in more inflexible collagen fibers and fewer elastic, pliable elastin fibers. The result is a phenomenon where normally straight, healthy muscle fibers see an influx of new collagen fibers that twist and bind other fibers together like glue, forming an intricate weave of cross-bridged collagen fibers that changes the muscle’s tissue structure.

These adhered fascial fibers create dysfunctional, inelastic, fibrotic, and ischemic bands or large regions within the muscle’s fascial connective tissue layers and even throughout the entire muscle. The term adhesion (adhesive) commonly associated with glue aptly describes this phenomenon.

Adhesions typically form in the fascial tissue layers due to excessive and repetitive strain on its muscular fibers. The cross-bridged collagen fiber influx is the body’s unique method of protecting the living muscle cells from damage, as living muscle cells can die, leading to muscle wasting and atrophy.

The result of all this hardening, glueing, twisting, and deformation of a muscle causes:

Fortunately, the human body possesses an innate resilience, designed to safeguard every living muscle cell under duress. When myofascial tissue is deprived of sufficient recovery time, the body initiates a compensatory mechanism, generating new collagen fibers that intertwine individual fascial fibers in a cross-bridged pattern. This process fortifies the fascial network by binding individual muscle cells and their fascial coverings together, enhancing overall structural integrity.

These cross-bridged collagen fibers act as natural adhesives, binding groups of fascial fibers together to form a cohesive, robust unit, thus shielding the strained fibers from further damage. The term “adhesion (adhesive),” commonly associated with glue, aptly describes this phenomenon, where fascial fibers become bound together, reinforcing the tissue against overexertion.

Consequences of Adhesion Formation & Burning Mouth Syndrome

The formation of adhesions initiates a cascade of consequences, as these fibrous connections begin to compress the arteries, veins, and free nerve endings within the layers of fascia surrounding muscles and the neurovascular bundle that lies beneath. Consequently, a persistent low-grade pain manifests whenever muscles affected by adhered fascia are engaged. Additionally, these adhesions have the propensity to shorten certain bands of fascial fibers, exacerbating discomfort upon contraction or stretching of the affected muscles.

With burning mouth syndrome, the repetitive strain adhesion formation can be attributed to various activities, including:

• Prolonged periods of computer usage with poor ergonomics
• Sustained tilting of the head to view a phone screen
• Engaging in sports without proper muscular conditioning
• Strain imposed by poor posture
• Emotional stress
• Breast enlargement
• Post-breast cancer surgery
• Substantial weight gain
• Chemotherapy
• Dental procedures

 

Each of these activities contributes to the overstrain of the muscles in the neck, jaw, and face, which have very thin layers of fascia. Over time, the fascia hardens and shortens, entrapping the delicate nerve fibers of the trigeminal and facial nerves.

The sensory dysfunction of these nerves leads to various symptoms such as burning, dull pain, pins and needles, dry mouth, metallic taste, and others associated with burning mouth syndrome.

Section 4: Causes of Burning Trigeminal Neuralgia – Burning Mouth Syndrome

As stated above, the most likely cause of burning mouth syndrome is due to nerve entrapment, compression, and ischemic deprivation of the trigeminal and facial nerves as they travel through the fascia and muscles of the neck, jaw, and face.

The most common cause of repetitive strain injury and adhesions of the fascia and muscles of the face, jaw, and neck is sustained poor posture. With poor posture, the muscles of the neck and upper back remain in a semi-contracting state, causing them to stiffen and shorten.

This leads to the overstrain of the fascia, which eventually leads to the formation of adhesions.

While posture may be the most common cause, there are other contributing factors to developing myofascial adhesions in the muscles and fascia of the face, jaw, and neck that lead to burning mouth syndrome.

These factors include but are not limited to:

• Emotional Stress
• Breast Enlargement
• Post-Breast Cancer Surgery
• Substantial Weight Gain
• Chemotherapy
• Dental Procedures
• Long Computer Sessions

 

Additionally, neck trauma, such as whiplash or falls, can lead to an almost immediate onset of symptoms due to the injury’s impact on the fascia, muscles, and nerves in the neck, jaw, and face.

Section 5: Our Treatment Technologies

Our therapy treatment solution employs several advanced technologies, all focused on restoring the proper function of the muscles, fascia, and nerves involved in burning mouth syndrome.

These technologies include:

• Deep Tissue Myofascial Release
• Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy
• Therapeutic Ultrasound
• Laser Therapy

 

Each of these therapies plays a unique role in breaking down myofascial adhesions, restoring blood flow, and reducing nerve compression and inflammation. By combining these therapies, we can achieve lasting relief from the symptoms of burning mouth syndrome.

Section 6: Our Therapy Treatment Solution

Our comprehensive therapy treatment solution is designed to address the root cause of burning mouth syndrome – myofascial adhesions and nerve compression. By targeting these underlying issues, our therapy provides lasting relief from the symptoms associated with this challenging condition.

Our therapy treatment solution follows a structured approach:

1. Assessment: A thorough evaluation of your symptoms, posture, and muscle health to identify the specific areas affected by myofascial adhesions and nerve compression.
2. Treatment Plan: A customized treatment plan tailored to your unique needs, incorporating the most effective therapies to address your condition.
3. Therapy Sessions: A series of therapy sessions designed to break down adhesions, restore muscle and fascia health, and relieve nerve compression.
4. Ongoing Support: Continuous monitoring and support to ensure lasting relief and prevent the recurrence of symptoms.
   Our treatment plan is non-invasive, and our therapies are safe and effective, allowing you to regain control over your health and well-being.

Section 7: Your Next Step

If you are suffering from burning mouth syndrome and have not found relief through traditional treatments, we invite you to contact us to learn more about our innovative therapy treatment solution. Our team of experts is dedicated to helping you achieve lasting relief and improved quality of life.

Take the first step towards a pain-free life by reaching out to us today.