| What kind of condition is trigeminal neuralgia, where does it effect, and how often does it occur? | Trigeminal neuralgia (TN), also called is a chronic pain condition that affects the trigeminal or 5th cranial nerve, one of the most widely distributed nerves in the head. This creates frequent, spontanious pain in the lips, gums, cheek, and/or chin. Pain can also be caused by gentile stimulation. |
| What is the main cause for trigeminal neuralgia? | Compression of the trigeminal nerve root by a blood vessel, most often the superior cerebellar artery or on occasion a tortuous vein, is the source of trigeminal neuralgia in a substantial proportion of patients. |
| What other conditions might be present in the differential diagnosis of trigeminal neuralgia? Name 2. | Migraine or cluster headache tends , temporal arteritis, multiple sclerosis (MS), secondary to mass lesions (such as aneurysms,
neurofibromas or meningiomas). |
| What is "Bell's Palsy?" What might precede the paralysis? | It is the most common form of facial paralysis. Pain behind the ear of the afflicted side might precede the paralysis. |
| Is Bell's Palsy a perminant dysfunction? | No; 80% of patients recover within a few weeks to a few months, however, there MIGHT be some lasting axonal damage. |
| What kind of lesion causes Bell's Palsy? | A lower motor neuron lesion. |
| This person is not having a stroke NOR do they have shingles. What condition do they probably have? | Bell's Palsy. |
| This person is not having a stroke and they do not have Bell's Palsy, per se, but they *DO* have SHINGLES. | Ramsay Hunt Syndrome; it looks just like Bell's Palsy, but is caused when a shingles outbreak affects one of the nerves behind the ear. |
| What is a possible differential diagnosis for Bell's Palsy? | sarcoidosis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, diabetes mellitus, connective tissue diseases (e.g. Sjögren's syndrome), amyloidosis, Acoustic neuromas, Infarcts, demyelinating lesions of multiple sclerosis, and tumors |
| How might an osteopath treat Bell's Palsy? | Through massage of the area, possibly combined with cranial osteopathy. |
| What are some causes for "Multiple Cranial Nerve Palsies?" Name 3; the list is huge. | Trauma, localized infections ( varicella zoster virus), infectious and noninfectious causes of meningitis, granulomatous diseases (such as
Wegener's), Behçet's disease, vascular disorders (including those associated with diabetes, enlarging saccular aneurysms), or locally infiltrating tumors( nasopharyngeal cancers, lymphomas, neurofibromas, meningiomas). |
| What is Cervical spondylosis? | This is the term given to the occurrence of osteoarthritis in the cervical spine. |
| What are some physical signs of cervical spondylosis? | Muscle Weakness, or sensory loss basically anywhere from the shoulder to the tips of the fingers. Also may have reflex loss in any muscle in the upper arm. |
| Where are some physical signs of Lumbar spondylosis found? | Lumbar Spondylosis will show weakness, sensory loss weakness in certain areas below the knee, to the toes, depending on which nerve root is effected. |
| This is the term given to the occurrence of degenerative disc disease and osteoarthritic change in the lumbar spine. Pain in the distribution of the
lumbar or sacral roots (‘sciatica’) is often due to disc protrusion | Lumbar Spondylosis is the term given to the occurence of ________ and _______ change in the lumbar spine. |
| The main kind of spinal cord compression happens in the disks (vertebrally). What are some causes for this? | Trauma, Intevertabral Disk Prolapse (herniated disk), metastic carcinoma, myeloma (aka, certain cancers; tumours), Tuberculosis |
| What common symptoms might a patient with spinal cord compression complain of? | - Pain (localized over said area of spine. Aggrivated by coughing/sneezing)
- Sensory (parasthysia/prickling or burning sensation, numbness, stiffness, cold feel. This often radiates from trunk)."
- Motor (Stiffness in muscles and joints, especially when in the legs, weakness, "heavy" feeling)
- Occassionally urinairy retention or frequent, sudden urgency, and/or hesitency to urinate. |
| What is Multiple sclerosis (MS)? | ________ _______ is a potentially disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system).
*In MS , the immune system attacks the protective MYELINE SHEATH that covers nerve fibers and causes communication problems between your brain and the rest of your body.* |
| What is Guillain–Barré syndrome? What causes the acute ________? | - What is a syndrome of acute paralysis (more proximally than distally) develops, in 70% of patients, 1–4 weeks after respiratory infection or diarrhea (particularly Campylobacter)?
-This causes acute inflamation, the resulting cytokins block nerve conduction and is followed by a complement-mediated destruction of the myelin sheath and the associated axon. This often causes acute pain. |
| What suppliments might be suggested for someone with neuropathic conditions? | Vitamin B12, Thiamin, Pyridoxine, Folic acid and Vitamin E |
| The autonomic nervous system regulates what? | The nervous system that regulates blood pressure (BP), heart rate, sleep, and bladder and bowel function |
| When the autonomic nervous system does not work as it should it is called...? | Dysautonomia is when this nervous system has a disfunction. |
