What causes different types of face pain and what treatment is available? In this episode of Airing Pain we cover facial pain in its many forms, what treatments are available and how to cope better with your pain. Funded by The Hospital Saturday Fund. In collaboration with UCLH Royal National ENT & Eastman Dental Hospitals. The way our face feels and how we move it is a massive part of our identity. Feeling pain in the face, or not being able to use your face the way you want to, is not only a physical burden on the person suffering, but a heavy psychological load to cope with as well. Issues covered in this programme include: facial pain, unnecessary dental treatments, tooth ache, face and identity, management techniques, trigeminal neuralgia, neuropathic pain, carbamazepine, neurosurgery, pain management programmes, psychology and pain, temporomandibular disorder, burning mouth syndrome, persistent idiopathic facial pain, central sensitisation syndrome, physiotherapy, acceptance & commitment therapy Time Stamps: 01: 54 - Trigeminal neuralgia (TN): what is it and what does it feel like? Dr Joanna Zakrzewska explains. 06:27 - Dr Zakrzewska discusses what treatments are available for TN, including carbamazepine. 10:37 - How can neurosurgery help treat TN? 18:11 - Psychology Pain Management Programmes (PMPs) for sufferers of TN. 19:11 - Susie Holder on the psychological impact of face pain. 21:36 - Dr Roddy McMillan discusses temporomandibular disorder (TMD) as a source of face pain. 22:29 - Burning mouth syndrome and other types of face pain. 25:50 - Treatments available for other types of face pain. 28:30 - TMD and how it is different from other types of face pain (usually neuropathic in origin). 30:00 - What is central sensitisation syndrome? 32:21 - Pain management for chronic pain sufferers. 36:05 - Susie Holder explains what acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is. 44:07 - Obstacles to living well with pain, including the coronavirus pandemic. Contributors: Dr Joanna Zakrzewska, consultant in oral medicine specialising in trigeminal neuralgia at the Department or Oral Medicine and Facial Pain at the UCLH NHS Foundation Trust. Susie Holder, clinical psychologist on the facial pain team at the Royal ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals, UCLH NHS Foundation Trust. Dr Roddy McMillan, consultant in oral medicine and facial pain at the Royal ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals, UCLH NHS Foundation Trust. More Information: Pain Matters magazine issue 77: face the pain Airing Pain 12: Trigeminal Neuralgia, Pelvic Pain & Cannabis Airing Pain 115: Neuropathic pain 1 of 2, targeted Pain Management Programmes Airing Pain 116: Neuropathic pain 2 of 2, latest research My live well with pain Trigeminal Neuralgia Association UK
No persons identified in this episode.
This episode hasn't been transcribed yet
Help us prioritize this episode for transcription by upvoting it.
Popular episodes get transcribed faster
Other recent transcribed episodes
Transcribed and ready to explore now
Eric Larsen on the emergence and potential of AI in healthcare
10 Dec 2025
McKinsey on Healthcare
Reducing Burnout and Boosting Revenue in ASCs
10 Dec 2025
Becker’s Healthcare -- Spine and Orthopedic Podcast
Dr. Erich G. Anderer, Chief of the Division of Neurosurgery and Surgical Director of Perioperative Services at NYU Langone Hospital–Brooklyn
09 Dec 2025
Becker’s Healthcare -- Spine and Orthopedic Podcast
Dr. Nolan Wessell, Assistant Professor and Well-being Co-Director, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Division of Spine Surgery, University of Colorado School of Medicine
08 Dec 2025
Becker’s Healthcare -- Spine and Orthopedic Podcast
NPR News: 12-08-2025 2AM EST
08 Dec 2025
NPR News Now
NPR News: 12-08-2025 1AM EST
08 Dec 2025
NPR News Now