A brief summary of the condition, it’s causes,
common symptoms and treatment pathways
and how Medical Cannabis could help.
A brief summary of the condition, it’s causes,
common symptoms, treatment plans
and how Medical Cannabis can help.
Facial pain is any pain felt in the face, mouth or eyes. It can be a sharp stabbing pain, a feeling of electric shocks, a burning sensation, or a dull ache. There is a lot of overlap with Facial pain and headaches.
As with other types of pain, it can be acute or chronic. Chronic pain is pain that lasts over 12 weeks.
Facial pain is relatively common, especially as it includes dental pain.
Toothache and dental related issues affect about 20% of the population. This can cause pain in the jaw or face.
Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Disorder affects 5-12% of the population.
Sinusitis, which frequently causes Facial pain or pressure, affects around 11% of adults.
Trigeminal Neuralgia is a severe nerve pain across different parts of the face that affects around 4-5 in 100,000 people.
The treatments for Facial pain depend on the cause.
Simple painkillers such as paracetamol and ibuprofen are recommended for most types of pain.
Dental pain often needs stronger anti-inflammatories, such as naproxen, or opiate based pain killers such as codeine.
TMJ disorder is treated with similar painkillers, but also muscle relaxants, and even mouthguards overnight to prevent teeth clenching or grinding.
Sinusitis is treated with decongestants and nasal steroid sprays, or even antibiotics if a bacterial infection is present.
Trigeminal neuralgia is a form of neuropathic (nerve) pain, and is mainly treated with an anticonvulsant called carbamazepine. Anti-neuropathic painkillers such as gabapentin or pregabalin may also be prescribed.
It may take combinations of treatments, and also psychological input to manage Facial pain, as the symptoms can take a huge toll on a person’s mental health.
Medical cannabis can be effective in treating the different types of Facial pain.
The two primary compounds in medical cannabis are the cannabinoids cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). These bind to CB1 and CB2 receptors in the body’s endocannabinoid system, altering how pain is perceived.
These cannabinoids can reduce hypersensitivity to stimuli, which is common in the different nerve pains involved with TMJ disfunction or dental pain.
THC is the psychoactive compound in medical cannabis, associated with a “high” and binds to cannabinoid receptors in the brain and nervous system. It has shown to be effective in both pain relief and muscle relaxation.
CBD, which doesn’t produce a “high” like THC, has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties, which can help in conditions where inflammation contributes to pain and nerve damage.
Many people with Facial pain struggle with sleep disturbances. Medical cannabis, especially strains with higher THC content, may improve sleep quality, which in turn can aid pain management and overall wellness.
Suffering from a medical condition can be awful, the last thing you want to do is wait months for treatment.
Making sure you are seen and treated as soon as possible is one of our top priorities.
Start your journey to a better quality of life with CB1 Medical today.
Check if you're eligibleWe are proud of our care and the impact it has on the lives of our patients. We give you time
to talk about your pain and you will always be listened to with compassion and empathy.
4.8 overall rating on Google
May 2024
Where do I start?! I have to admit I was very nervous, considering I have tried numerous treatments for my fibromyalgia and EDS and had a medical prescription 3 pages long and really complex medical issues. I was in an awfully high level of pain, even with all that.
Every single staff member from reception, nurses, pharmacy and my lovely Dr Vanessa Hutchinson have been consistently friendly, professional, helpful and incredibly fast in progressing me from initial online enquiry to receiving my prescription (just under 2 weeks and we had the Easter 4 day break in-between!).
In this very short time, my pain levels have reduced significantly (as have my other medications!). I cannot recommend this clinic enough. Thanks CB1 MEDICAL 🙂
March 2024
Staff really nice, and keep in touch to monitor my progress and any questions I may have. I feel very comfortable talking about my situation as no judgement or negative feedback. I feel like my life, health and symptoms are being taken seriously but with care.
Follow up appointment over the telephone was relaxed, no rushing, he answered all the questions about my medication and progress without prejudice, sarcasm and was so easy and a breath of fresh air. I can say that if you are thinking of treatment and support like nowhere else then you will be in very caring and professional hands that really do make you feel that you are important and heard with respect and understanding. 5 stars are not enough.
October 2024
My life has been transformed since starting medical cannabis with CB1 Medical.
Dr Richard Pertwee was friendly and so knowledgeable. The relief I’ve experienced has been nothing short of miraculous. The quality of life I now have is something I never thought possible, started to smell the roses eg I’m incredibly grateful to you all.
Highly recommend it to anyone who is struggling or has ineffective medication.
April 2024
I know when you pay for an appointment, you expect a different service, but honestly, this is beyond what I expected. The appointments were scheduled quickly, and happened within days, mostly late evenings to fit around my work. The doctors listen and I didn’t feel like I was being judged as just a junkie after pain meds. That’s how I feel in an NHS appointment.
The meds were delivered quickly and I got to using them right away. In the last 11 days, I’ve used painkillers once, and only paracetamol. This is down from multiple painkillers multiple times every single day. And I sleep so much better as well.
