In addition to allowing us to smile and frown, cranial nerves transmit information from the head and face to the brain. These nerves can also cause problems like facial pain and facial spasms. Facial pain is caused by the trigeminal nerve. Facial spasms are caused by the facial nerve.
Vascular compression of these nerves is a common cause of facial pain and spasms. When blood vessels compress the trigeminal nerve or facial nerve, it can cause intense pain or facial spasms. The most common cranial nerve disorders are trigeminal neuralgia, hemifacial spasm, and glossopharyngeal neuralgia. NewYork-Presbyterian is home to a multidisciplinary team of experts at the forefront of facial pain and spasm treatment. Among these is Dr. Raymond Sekula MD, a neurosurgeon who has devoted a large portion of his practice to treating trigeminal nerve pain and facial spasms.
Dr. Sekula and his team perform more than 500 neurosurgical operations each year. For this reason, NewYork-Presbyterian should be your first stop for diagnosis and treatment of facial pain and facial spasm disorders.