A trigeminal nerve block places targeted anesthetic on a branch of the trigeminal nerve. It is for facial pain and for headache with a strong facial component.
What does the trigeminal nerve supply?
The trigeminal nerve is the main sensory supply to the face. It divides into three branches: ophthalmic (forehead and around the eye), maxillary (cheek and upper jaw), and mandibular (lower jaw). Which branch is blocked depends entirely on where your pain actually is.
The trigeminal system is also the pathway through which migraine and cluster headache generate pain. That is why blocks here can help headaches that are not obviously “facial”.
What does a trigeminal nerve block treat?
- Trigeminal neuralgia — brief, electric, shock-like facial pain triggered by touch, chewing, cold air or shaving.
- Persistent pain after dental treatment — usually a trigeminal branch injured during an extraction, root canal or implant.
- Head and neck cancer pain, including pain after surgery or radiation.
- Persistent facial pain that has not responded to medication.
- Cluster and other trigeminal autonomic headaches, alongside oxygen and an SPG block.
How is a trigeminal nerve block done?
Superficial branches — supraorbital, infraorbital, mental — are reached through small injections at fixed landmarks. Ultrasound is frequently used to confirm the target and keep the needle away from the vessels that run with each nerve. Deeper approaches are done under fluoroscopy.
Numbness in the treated area afterwards is expected and temporary. There is no sedation for the superficial blocks.
Booking online shows our scheduled openings. Call or text for hours that are not listed. Please contact us before coming in rather than arriving unannounced — we need to know what is happening to have the right treatment ready.
A note on coverage, and on timing. Same-day treatment and prior authorization do not run on the same clock. Many insurers take days to weeks to decide. Some acute headache treatments are not covered at all. Your headache will not wait for that process.
We will verify your benefits. Where a treatment needs prior authorization, we will attempt to obtain it. An authorization confirms that a service meets criteria for review — it is not a guarantee of payment. No clinic can make that promise on your insurer’s behalf. Something may be unlikely to be covered, or it may not be certified in time to treat you today. If so, we will tell you before we treat rather than after, so the decision is yours. Payment is due at the time of service.
Frequently asked questions
Will a nerve block help trigeminal neuralgia?
Trigeminal neuralgia is one of the conditions this block is used for here. It is the brief, electric, shock-like facial pain set off by touch, chewing, cold air or shaving. The block places anesthetic on the branch of the trigeminal nerve that carries your pain. So the first step is working out which of the three branches that is.
What should I expect after a trigeminal nerve block?
Expect numbness in the treated area of your face. It is expected and it is temporary. There is no sedation for the superficial blocks (supraorbital, infraorbital and mental). These are reached through small injections at fixed landmarks. Ultrasound is frequently used to confirm the target and keep the needle away from the vessels. Deeper approaches are done under fluoroscopy.
Can a trigeminal nerve block help migraine or cluster headache?
It can help headaches that are not obviously facial. The trigeminal system is the pathway through which migraine and cluster headache generate pain. That is why a block here can reach them. For cluster and other trigeminal autonomic headaches, we use it alongside oxygen and an SPG block rather than on its own.
Which branch of the trigeminal nerve gets blocked?
The one carrying your pain. The trigeminal nerve divides into three branches: ophthalmic, covering the forehead and around the eye; maxillary, covering the cheek and upper jaw; and mandibular, covering the lower jaw. Which branch is blocked depends entirely on where your pain actually is. Pain after dental work usually traces to a branch injured during the procedure.