- Specialized expertise in treating all types of facial pain, including occipital neuralgia, post-herpetic neuralgia, TMJ, trigeminal neuralgia, and atypical facial pain. Go to Conditions Treated
- Thorough evaluations to identify the root cause of your facial pain and inform your personalized treatment plan. Go to Testing
- Leading-edge nonsurgical and surgical treatments tailored to your needs, condition, and pain severity. Go to Treatments
- Ease of access to comprehensive facial pain treatment across the Bay Area with virtual consultations and follow-up care. Go to Connecting to Care
- Team-based approach with pain management specialists, neurologists, neurosurgeons, interventional radiologists, and behavioral specialists. Go to Your Care Team
- Clinical trials that offer access to innovative facial pain treatments, including novel surgical approaches and sophisticated technology. Go to Clinical Trials
- Comprehensive support services that emphasize whole-person care to meet your physical, mental, and social needs. Go to Support Services
Conditions Treated
Many conditions can cause facial pain and significantly disrupt your life. Our doctors have extensive training and experience treating the entire spectrum of facial pain disorders, including:
Trigeminal neuralgia causes intense, shooting, or stabbing pain on one side of the face. Usually, pain occurs because a nearby artery or vein is putting pressure on the nerve.
Various headaches, including migraines, cluster headache, hemicrania continua, and paroxysmal hemicrania, can produce facial pain.
These involuntary, repetitive, or brief muscle contractions occur in the tongue, lower face, or jaw muscles. Orofacial dystonias frequently cause migraines and tension headaches.
This burning or aching pain in the face or mouth doesn’t have a known physical cause. It may be related to depression, anxiety, or sleep disorders.
Post-herpetic neuralgia occurs because of nerve damage following an episode of shingles (herpes zoster infection).
This uncommon disorder causes redness and a burning sensation in the ear. Red ear syndrome often occurs with migraines or other headaches.
Inflammation or infection of the sinuses may cause facial pain and pressure.
This burning or tingling pain can affect the tongue, lips, gums, throat, roof of the mouth, or inside of the cheeks.
The sphenopalatine ganglion is a bundle of nerves behind your nose that transmits pain sensations. This nerve pain can lead to cluster headache, migraine, and atypical facial pain.
Glossopharyngeal neuralgia causes repeated bursts of severe jabbing or stabbing pain on one side of the tongue. This nerve pain can also occur in the back of the nose, throat, ear, or tonsils.
This is a facial nerve disorder in which muscles on one side of your face twitch involuntarily.
Disorders in the skull, mouth, or internal organs can cause facial pain.
Jaw pain involves stress on the muscles that control chewing and opening and closing the jaw. This pain may stem from tension, spasm, or fatigue of the jaw muscles, caused by teeth problems or clenching the jaw.
Neck pain often develops after trauma or because of problems in the cervical spine.
In neuropathic pain, damage to the nerves causes them to constantly fire and produce shooting or burning pain.
Occipital neuralgia is a sharp or jabbing electrical-type shock in the back of the head or neck. Or, it may involve an aching, burning, or throbbing pain that begins in the back of the head and moves to the scalp.
Our specialists treat a wide range of conditions that cause oral pain, including:
- Bacterial infections
- Oral cancer
- Tooth infections
- Viruses such as herpes simplex virus (HSV)
In TMJ, pain can start in the jawbone, connective tissue, joint, ligaments, muscles, nerves, teeth, or tendons.
Our specialists focus on accurately identifying the source of your facial pain and using advanced treatments to relieve your pain.
Facial pain can significantly affect your life. Our specialists focus on accurately diagnosing and effectively addressing the underlying causes of facial pain. We tailor the latest treatments to your needs, symptoms, and source of pain. Your personalized plan may include a range of therapies to provide the greatest pain relief and quality of life.
INNOVATION HIGHLIGHTS
- Our program includes internationally recognized, board-certified neurosurgeons, pain specialists, and sinus surgeons who actively participate in leading-edge research.
- Stanford Medicine Division of Pain Medicine leads the way in developing therapies that reduce severe pain and enhance quality of life. Current research is exploring real-time fMRI feedback for pain control and TMS therapy to better understand how different brain areas process pain.
- We have a dedicated Trigeminal Neuralgia Program that offers the most up-to-date surgical and nonsurgical treatments for trigeminal neuralgia and neuropathic pain.
- Facial pain is often misdiagnosed, which can delay pain-relieving treatment. Our specialists use a series of advanced diagnostic tests and tools to identify exactly what’s causing your pain.
- Our renowned neurosurgeons invented CyberKnife stereotactic radiosurgery and have refined this precise technology to treat chronic facial pain, such as trigeminal neuralgia.
An accurate diagnosis is the foundation of successful treatment. Because facial pain has many causes, it is often difficult to diagnose. At Stanford Health Care, our multispecialty team has extensive experience in precisely identifying the source of facial pain.
Our specialists conduct a comprehensive evaluation to fully understand your symptoms and concerns. They take a thorough medical history and use a range of tests, which may include:
Your doctor completes a neurological exam to check your reflexes, use a vision exam, ask you to blink and smile, and test your cranial nerves. These nerves connect your brain to different parts of the face, like your eyes, ears, and neck.
An MRI uses magnets and radio waves to take detailed pictures of the brain and sinuses. An MRI can rule out underlying causes such as a tumor or multiple sclerosis.
A CT scan uses X-rays and computer technology to provide images of the brain and also rule out causes of facial pain.
Your doctor may ask questions about your mental health symptoms, sleep, and mood.
At Stanford Health Care, we offer a comprehensive range of pain-relieving options. We partner with you to find the best approach for your condition, pain severity, and individual needs. Our wide-ranging treatments include:
In some cases, pain medication may be helpful. For other conditions, such as trigeminal neuralgia, doctors may prescribe anti-seizure medications to reduce the nerve’s ability to send pain signals.
A nerve block is an injection of medication that relieves facial pain by blocking certain nerves in the face.
Doctors place a nerve stimulator under the skin that sends out electrical impulses to specific nerves to reduce pain sensitivity.
Depending on your condition, physical therapy may be an option. Physical therapists may teach you exercises to:
- Improve posture
- Increase range of motion
- Lessen pain and pressure
- Strengthen certain muscles
Pain affects everyone differently but generally impacts your physical, mental, and social health. Psychological therapy can help you address these effects and receive support in meeting your personal goals. You also learn evidence-based techniques to reduce pain, including:
- Biofeedback
- Mindfulness
- Self-hypnosis
Acupuncture may be used to treat your pain. Our specialists, including anesthesiologists, naturopaths, and licensed acupuncturists, use fine disposable needles to reduce facial pain.
At Stanford Health Care, we use innovative surgical techniques to relieve facial pain. Whenever possible, we perform minimally invasive procedures for a smoother, faster recovery. You have access to:
- Microvascular decompression surgery (MVD surgery): Your doctor may recommend MVD surgery to treat intense facial pain or spasms when other treatments haven’t brought relief. This surgical procedure stops the blood vessel from putting pressure on a cranial nerve (at the back of the brain).
- Percutaneous radiofrequency rhizotomy: This procedure uses radiofrequency to burn the nerve fibers that cause pain.
- Percutaneous radiofrequency lesioning: Our surgeons use multiple heating and chemical techniques to stop nerves from causing pain, including:
- Balloon compression: A balloon expands to compress the nerve producing the pain.
- Botox injections: These under-the-skin injections may block impulses from the brain and dampen the perception of pain.
- Glycerol rhizotomy: We use the chemical glycerol to destroy a nerve’s pain fibers.
- Endoscopic sinus surgery: Minimally invasive surgical techniques are available to approach sinus-related causes of facial pain.
CyberKnife stereotactic radiosurgery delivers precise doses of radiation to nerve roots to alleviate pain.
Stanford Medicine neurosurgeons developed this innovative technology. Today, we treat people from all over the world. As a global referral center, our specialists have deep knowledge in using this robotic system for relieving facial pain.
Care for neurological disorders goes beyond medical treatments. We encircle you and your family with supportive services to help treat your mind, body, and soul.
Innovation Through Clinical Research
Stanford Health Care Neuroscience actively participates in groundbreaking research and clinical trials to evaluate new and better ways to diagnose, treat, and manage neurological disorders. Participating in a trial may give you access to experimental therapies that are not available otherwise. We also partner with the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute to better understand the brain, develop new treatments for brain disorders, and promote brain health.
Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are research studies that evaluate a new medical approach, device, drug, or other treatment. As a Stanford Health Care patient, you may have access to the latest, advanced clinical trials.
Open trials refer to studies currently recruiting participants or that may recruit participants in the near future. Closed trials are not currently enrolling, but similar studies may open in the future.
Your Circle of Care
A diagnosis of a neurological condition—and the changes it may bring—can be unsettling. We offer you and your caregivers the personalized support you need at every step. Your team listens to you and develops a plan for your situation. And you’ll work with the same team from diagnosis throughout treatment, so we can get to know you and your needs.
Each person’s experience is unique, which is why we provide personalized care. Our team tailors treatment and supportive services to meet your individual needs.
Your Doctors
Pain specialists
Your team may include a range of doctors and practitioners who specialize in treating facial pain. For example, anesthesiologists are medical doctors who manage pain before, during, and after surgery, as well as perform procedures to alleviate pain. Physical therapists are health care professionals who use movement to relieve pain and restore function.
View All {0} Pain Management SpecialistsNeurosurgeons
Neurosurgeons specialize in treating facial pain using traditional (open) and minimally invasive surgery and CyberKnife radiosurgery, a noninvasive form of radiation therapy.
View All {0} NeurosurgeonsHeadache and Facial Pain Specialist
A headache specialist is a neurologist. This type of medical doctor has specialized training in diagnosing, treating, and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system, including headaches.
View All {0} Headache And Facial Pain SpecialistsOral Surgeon
An oral surgeon is a dentist who receives additional training in performing complex operations on the mouth and jaw.
View All {0} Oral And Maxillofacial SurgeonsOtolaryngologist - Head & Neck Surgeon
An otolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat specialist) has subspecialty expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of sinus pain and disorders.
View All {0} OtolaryngologistsAdvanced Practice Providers
These provider specialists are nurse practitioners and physician assistants who work closely with your main doctor to provide support and help with diagnosis and treatment. They may also recommend medications and lifestyle changes.
View All 3 Advanced Practice ProvidersExtended Care Team
Neuropathologist
Neuropathologists specialize in diagnosing conditions of the brain and nervous system through microscopic evaluation of tissue sampled during biopsy or surgery.
View All {0} NeuropathologistsNeuropsychologist
A neuropsychologist is a licensed clinical psychologist with special training in neurology, thought processes, and behavior. These doctors use neuropsychological tests to help the care team evaluate people and diagnose facial pain.
View All {0} NeuropsychologistsNeuropsychiatrist
A neuropsychiatrist is a medical doctor who specializes in neurology and psychiatry to treat mental health symptoms related to neurological conditions. Neuropsychiatrists provide psychosocial counseling and prescribe medications for people with facial pain who also have mental health symptoms, such as anxiety or depression.
View All {0} NeuropsychiatristsNeuroradiologist
A neuroradiologist is a doctor who specializes in interpreting diagnostic imaging of the brain and nervous system. They work behind the scenes to help provide an accurate image of the brain to show possible structural causes of facial pain.
View All {0} NeuroradiologistsSupport Services
Your wellness is our top priority. As part of your care, we design a wellness plan to support you and your family before, during, and after treatment.
We offer a wide array of support services to help you to feel your best. Contact our Neuro Care Services for your personal support plan.
We make access to care as simple as possible. We anticipate what you need and provide support when you need it. Our network of locations puts our services within your reach. User-friendly digital health tools help you stay connected with your care team. We accept most insurance plans and offer discounted transportation, short-stay options, and international travel and translation services. We help make sense of the details, so you can make decisions that are right for you.
At the Stanford Health Care Facial Pain Program, we make accessing care easy and convenient. We make every effort to coordinate your appointments so that you can see multiple providers, as needed, during a single visit.
For Referring Physicians
PHYSICIAN HELPLINE
Fax: 650-320-9443
Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Stanford Health Care provides comprehensive services to refer and track patients, as well as the latest information and news for physicians and office staff. For help with all referral needs and questions, visit Referral Information.
You may also submit a web referral or complete a referral form and fax it to 650-320-9443 or email the Referral Center at ReferralCenter@stanfordhealthcare.org.
- Send referrals online
- Place radiology and lab orders
- View referral status
- Access medical records
To request an appointment with a pain management specialist, call 650-723-6469.
To request an appointment with a neurosurgeon, call 650-497-7777.