The Body Connection

You may reduce your physical pain itself, by utilizing various methods which have helped others with facial pain. They key to discovering which ones may help you requires you to try each strategy consistently, over a certain period of time.

Deep Breathing

When we are in pain, we automatically begin to breathe in shorter gasps, however, if you will instead, focus on taking deliberate deep, and slow breaths (in through the mouth and out through the nose) this may reduce the pain significantly. Many also find that setting aside a consistent time every day, such as before bed-time, to spend about five minutes breathing in this manner, reduces their pain overall.

Hot/Cold Compresses

Purchase two microwaveable and freezable compresses - the flexible kinds in small sizes. Keep one in your freezer, and store the other one close to your microwave where it can be quickly located in times of pain. Experiment with both; some find cold compresses help; others find hot compresses are best. Others find that alternating them helps.

Protecting your Face, Head and Neck from Wind and Cold

Be prepared to cover your face for when you may be in the cold or wind. Find a scarf or facemask that can best help you. I had such a difficult time finding the “right” scarf that I designed one myself! Check it out in the Products section.

Food and Beverage Ideas

Try drinking everything at room temperature to see if this helps. Also, you might want to note on your calendar what foods you have eaten on days of highest pain, and see if there are some foods which are worse pain culprits.

Brown rice, cooked/dried fruits and cooked vegetables are safe bets for painless eating.

If your pain is set-off by textures of food, try keeping a log to help you determine which specific foods are problematic for you. In addition, you may need to stick to soft foods or else mash them in a blender for times of high pain. Some soft foods to consider: oatmeal, cream-of-wheat, grits, Tapioca pudding, custard, yogurt, tender white fish, soymilk, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice, scrambled eggs, spaghetti, soups.

If you are hurting so much that you don’t want to eat, try liquid meal replacement products such as Ensure, Boost, etc. Also, three Tablespoons of peanut butter as a meal replacement will provide your body with needed protein and fats.

Brushing Your Teeth

Try using a soft toothbrush, and be careful to avoid any trigger spots inside or outside your mouth which set off pain when touched. A few other suggestions include:

Over-the-Counter (OTC) Direct Contact Treatments

Some people find relief from pain through the use of topical analgesic creams, which can be purchased at your local drug store. Carefully test them out, applying only a small amount to the area which is hurting, and be sure to have a wet washcloth at the ready in case anything irritates your skin, so you can quickly wipe off the cream. These treatments tend to help best for the pain caused by numbness or anesthesia dolorosa. Examples: Lidocaine, Capsacian, hot pepper cream

Quiet and Darkness

Some people find if they will go to a place that is quiet and dark as soon as they feel pain about to begin, their pain cycle is shortened. It’s like taking a “time-out” of life for a little while, hoping to calm the cycle.

Bathing and Hydro Therapy

Taking a warm bath is a great way to relax, and may reduce your pain. Some facial pain patients find that “hot tubs” or their in-home “jetted tubs” reduce pain. Warning: Be careful that no water shoots directly onto your face, and an over-heated tub may increase your pain rather than reduce it. Experiment with temperatures that feel right to you.

Massage

Although you may not think you can stand being touched when you are in pain, sometimes just the opposite is true. Some people with facial pain will find that deeply massaging the painful areas of your face, will calm down the nerve. Others find a massage to their heads, hands or feet can ease the pain. Massage, like hydrotherapy, may simply allow for muscular relaxation, putting less tension on the painful nerves, and thereby easing your pain .

Exercise

When your pain is severe, your energy drops tremendously. Your natural reaction may be to limit your physical movements to “save” your energy, however, often the opposite occurs. The more you reduce your physical activity, the greater your pain becomes. Exercise has amazing healing benefits which may help you, and usually can be performed even when your pain is moderate to high. Just look at some of the benefits of exercise: Improvement of sleep, better pain relief through the release of endorphins, improved mental and emotional strength, better muscle relaxation from the stiffness of your muscles as a reaction to pain, and greater flexibility and overall comfort.

Experiment with what kinds of physical activity works best for you. Try stretches, walking, swimming, yard-work, biking, and other non-jarring kinds of activity.

Nutrition

Vitamins and Herbal supplements are reviewed in Medical Treatments which are utilized by many with facial pain. You can also feel better by using your illness as the impetus you need to begin to eat a healthier diet.

There’s even some evidence that eating a healthy diet enhances the body’s pain defense mechanisms by enhancing the production of “endogenous opiods” which are “feel good” endorphins; while also aiding in the production of antioxidants which limit the damage caused by destructive free radicals (cells that are linked to causing illnesses). Source: Gremillion H. Texas Dent Journal, July 2000

Some foods with strong antioxidants include: mushrooms, wine, raspberries, pomegranate, grapes, bananas, corn, green tea and coffee.