Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Does the Trigeminal nerve trigger migraines from smells?

A study by the Department of Neuro-Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston showed that migraines and other similar problems may be caused by the trigeminal nerve. This is another example showing how the use of neuromuscular dentistry to decrease noxious input from the trigeminal may be effective in eliminating a migraine trigger.

While this study suggests that migraines can be caused by smells from the Trigeminal Nerve I strongly believe the Trigeminal Nerve can also utilize smells to turn off migraines, tension headaches and other pains.  The Trigeminal nerve is utilized to smell menthol a common addition to many topical pain relievers.  I believe that input to the trigeminal nerve can turn headaches on or off.

The physiologic effect of neuromuscular dentistry and the use of TENS is to change the input to the trigminal nerve.  Changing of brain chemistry is the basis for many types of drugs that tray migraine, headaches and depression.  Brain chemistry can also be adjusted with neural input via implntable devices.  Neuromuscular Dentistry utilizes changes to neural inputs by adjusting and correcting physiologic function.

The article states "Trigeminal nerve fibers in nasal and oral cavities are sensitive to various environmental hazardous stimuli, which trigger many neurotoxic problems such as chronic migraine headache and trigeminal irritated disorders." These disorders would include Sinus pain and headaches, migraines tension-type headache and TMD (temporomandibular disorders)

The study was published in Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2008 Nov 28;376(4):781-6 by Wu J, Zhang X, Nauta HJ, Lin Q, Li J, Fang L.. The authors state that " the role of JNK kinase cascade and its epigenetic modulation of histone remodeling in trigeminal ganglion (TG) neurons activated by environmental neurotoxins remains unknown". The important part is not the exact chemical pathways involved but rather the confirmation that migraines triggered by smells and chemicals are trigeminally innervated and therefore there is good reason to believe that the restoration of a healthy physiologic state to the masticatory system, bite and neurouscular function should help alleviate many or all of these migraines.



In the orbital apex, the nasociliary, frontal, lacrimal, and maxillary branches of the trigeminal nerve demonstrated intense staining upon entering the orbit. CONCLUSIONS: Sympathetic nerves enter the orbit via the first and second divisions of the trigeminal nerve and a plexus of nerves surrounding the ophthalmic artery.