Cheeky pain, pain on the cheek

Triggers and therapy of aching cheeks

Cheek pain can have a variety of causes. Often they are due to irritation or inflammation of the facial nerves (neuralgia). In the area of ​​the face trigeminal neuralgia occurs most frequently, with the pain coming from the fifth cranial nerve, the trigeminal nerve. It runs in three main branches of the face and can cause very severe pain.

Often, however, the masticatory muscles, the temporomandibular joint or inflammatory foci in the teeth trigger pain in the cheek. In addition, there are fractures and bruises, which are due to accidents. In order to start a targeted therapy, it is necessary to first find the exact cause of the symptoms.

contents

• Triggers and therapy of aching cheeks
• defintion
• Cheek pain in neuralgia
• Cheek pain in craniomandibular dysfunction
• Pain on the cheek with underlying diseases
• diagnosis
• Treatment options for cheek pain
• Naturopathic treatment for cheek pain

defintion

Pain in the face below the eye socket, between the zygomatic bone and lower jaw are referred to as cheek pain. The symptoms can be punctual or areal, acute or chronic. Facial pain in the area of ​​the cheek, which is due to a trigeminal neuralgia, are among the most severe pain experiences.

Cheek pain can occur at certain points or areas, depending on the cause. (Image: andriano_cz / fotolia.com)

Cheek pain in neuralgia

Cheeky pains can occur at specific points, regardless of movement and position, in small areas, but also as a function of movements of the temporomandibular joint, so that the discomfort of opening the mouth or closing the mouth can be felt. You can also make a point in front of the temporomandibular joint or along the cheekbone noticeable.

In the area of ​​the cheeks run some nerves and muscles, which can cause severe pain by irritation and inflammation. The medical term for nerve pain is neuralgia. This includes pain that is felt in the supply area of ​​one or more nerves and is caused by damage to these peripheral nerves.

The most common neuralgia is trigeminal neuralgia. The facial nerve, the trigeminal nerve, which runs in three main branches of the face, is the cause of the pain. One of these nerves (maxillary nerve) runs into the cheek area. More specifically, the pain trigger is the infraorbital nerve. It supplies the teeth of the upper jaw and the skin of the front and upper face and exits through a hole in the upper jaw (foramen infraorbitale) about three millimeters below the eye to the outside.

On the one hand, the trigeminal nerve supplies the individual facial areas with sensitivity, but it is also responsible for the activity of the chewing muscles and temporal muscles. For example, irritation to this nerve can occur if an adjacent blood vessel in the lower part of the brain changes or other sections of the trigeminal nerve become disconnected. Sometimes the cause can not be finally clarified. In other cases, another underlying disease can be the cause of the pain, such as multiple sclerosis or a tumor. Head injuries from accidents can also lead to nerve pain.

Symptoms of trigeminal neuralgia include sudden, piercing pain, especially on the cheek and chin, which can also trigger toothache. The pain attacks often last only a few seconds and repeat at short intervals. Usually follows a phase without seizures until the pain sets in again.

Another cause of cheek complaints cheek can be a belt and facial rose (herpes zoster). Often a weakened immune defense, for example in older people, is the reason why the chickenpox virus breaks out again and causes acute and chronic symptoms. The extremely unpleasant neuralgia is referred to as postherpetic zoster neuralgia.

Cheek pain in craniomandibular dysfunction

Craniomandibular dysfunction refers to complaints of the masticatory muscles and the temporomandibular joint. The resulting pain is often located in the area of ​​the cheeks or radiate out. Most of the muscles responsible for closing the mouth are tight and can cause pain.

Recent studies have found that these muscles have altered pH levels and increased levels of painkillers that may be contributing to the development of pain. In addition, clenching or rubbing the teeth during the day or nocturnal teeth grinding could contribute to muscle hardening. Asymmetries of the temporomandibular joint, which are caused for example by malocclusions or tooth growth, lead to an uneven load on the muscles and could cause unilateral discomfort. In addition, the teeth themselves can cause discomfort as in inflammatory foci.

In migraine, the pain often radiates to the cheeks. (Image: Rawpixel.com/fotolia.com)

Pain on the cheek with underlying diseases

Pain in the area of ​​the cheek sometimes occurs as a result of other illnesses. For example, sinusitis, tooth and jaw problems, cervical spine problems and muscle tension in the shoulder and neck area are possible. In most cases, other specific symptoms appear superficially. Cheeky pains are only a side effect.

In addition, there are numerous diseases that affect the head or the skull interior. For example, strokes and brain tumors are included. Even in migraine, the pain radiates partly in the cheeks. In diseases affecting the central nervous system, such as multiple sclerosis, along with other symptoms, cheek complaints may also occur.

The causes listed here are only a selection and are not suitable for self-diagnosis. If you have cheek pain that is sudden and intense, persistent, recurring, or accidental, consult a doctor.

diagnosis

To get the trigger of the symptoms on the track, the doctor will first clarify when and where exactly these occur. Other symptoms may be indicative of an underlying disease. If the pain in the cheek suddenly occurs in spasms or as a result of a specific stimulus, such as brushing or stressful situations, this may indicate a trigeminal neuralgia. If the affected persons feel the symptoms especially when chewing, it is suspected that they are a problem of the teeth or the temporomandibular joint.

In addition to palpating the cheek area, further examinations such as x-rays and MRI may be necessary. Depending on the cause, doctors of various disciplines such as dentists, orthodontists, ENT doctors, orthopedists, neurologists and internists are consulted.

Treatment options for cheek pain

The therapy of cheek pain depends on its cause. In case of a temporomandibular joint disorder (CMD), a special bite splint or small corrections of the bite position in combination with the corresponding connection with appropriate exercises are often sufficient to alleviate the symptoms. More complex procedures are usually only carried out when all other measures have been exhausted or only such an intervention can remedy the dysfunction.

When muscle tension is the trigger, physiotherapy, manual therapy, and muscle relaxation techniques can provide relief. In addition, there is the possibility of electrical nerve stimulation across the skin to relax the muscles.

Nerve pain, such as trigeminal neuralgia, usually relies on medication if there is no underlying disease. Since analgesics are not effective in relapsing pain attacks, sufferers often receive so-called antiepileptic drugs, which are mainly used in the treatment of epilepsy and prevent attacks of pain by affecting the excitability and conductivity of the nerve tracts. In severe cases, an operation may be useful in which the relief of the irritated or pressurized nerve or the interruption of the pain pathway is in the foreground.

If tension is the cause of pain in the cheek, manual therapy can be very helpful. (Image: georgpfluegl / fotolia.com)

Surgery may also be necessary for tumors, fractures or sometimes multiple sclerosis.

Naturopathic treatment for cheek pain

The treatment concept of osteopathy, which was founded by the American physician Arthur Taylor Still, includes other factors and relationships in the diagnosis, which may have influence on the cheek area, but often remain unconsidered in conventional medicine. For example, during the initial examination, complaints such as neck tension, tummy-ache, forehead or hip pain are included and, if necessary, treated. This makes sense because they affect the overall statics of the body.

Depending on the cause, natural remedies may also be used which are used either as a supplement or as an alternative to conventional medicine. For example, cloves have been used for centuries as a proven home remedy for toothache, as their ingredients have an analgesic effect. In addition, they should act antivirally and in particular against herpes viruses.