Questions about MS? 0808 800 8000
Donate now

What's the best way to treat face pain in MS?

Jianhua Wu
Lead researcher:
Dr Jianhua Wu
Based at:
University of Leeds
MS Society funding:
£37,546
Status:
Active

About the project

People with MS are 20 times more likely to experience trigeminal neuralgia than those without MS. Often described as a sharp shooting pain in the face, it's the result of damage to the trigeminal nerve.

Some people find they're able to manage the pain with drug treatments, but the effectiveness of the treatments often reduces over time. In these cases clinicians may advise Gamma Knife Radio Surgery (GKRS). GKRS involves applying a very high dose of radiation to a very small area of the brain, targeting the trigeminal nerve.

Currently there's no standard procedure of treating MS-related trigeminal neuralgia using GKRS, with different clinics targeting a range of points along the nerve and using a range of dosages. Jianhua’s team will look at optimising the process to improve the effectiveness of GKRS for MS. They'll test different doses and treatment points, looking at which gives the most pain relief and the greatest improvement in quality of life for people with MS.

How will it help people with MS?

Pain can be one of the most challenging invisible symptoms of MS. Finding treatments that help people with MS manage it better is one of our research priorities. This project will improve an important procedure that has the potential to really help people experiencing face pain.

The difference you can make

We want everyone with MS to have access to the treatments they need to live well with MS. With your help, we can continue to support vital research like this.

You may also be interested in

Pain

A lot of people with MS experience pain at some time. It varies from person to person and over time, but drug treatments and other therapies can help you cope.

Can we identify and manage cognitive changes better?

Up to 80% of people with MS experience cognitive changes. These can include problems with memory and thinking, attention or multitasking. We want to develop a cognitive screening pathway to detect these changes.