By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo

 

Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) or doulourex typically happens when “a blood vessel puts pressure on the trigeminal nerve near the brainstem”. This nerve provides sensation to the head and face. According to neurologists, the condition isn’t life-threatening, but it can be life-altering. It is typically chronic (long-term) but several treatment options can help relieve pain, ranging from medications to surgical procedure. I rejected surgery as an option, since the nerve is near the brainstem.

Instead of these pain-management options, I explored the possibility of alternative healing. I found several from the suggestions of an international support group on TN and from friends. From these suggestions, I decided to try N8 Upper Cervical Chiropractic, the only clinic in the Philippines specializing in  NUCCA chiropractic and Toggle Recoil procedures.

NUCCA (National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association) chiropractic is based on the idea that proper alignment of the upper cervical spine is essential for optimal nervous system function and overall health. It is “a gentle, precise technique focusing on aligning the upper cervical spine (specifically the atlas and axis vertebrae) to improve overall health and function by reducing interference to the nervous system.” The Toggle Recoil technique corrects “misalignments in the atlas (C1 vertebra) with a quick, light thrust and immediate recoil . . . ”. The treatment draws inspiration from a quote in the clinic’s wall: “If you would seek health, look first to the spine – Socrates”.

My sister Emma and I braved the heat and the rain, going to Makati for the first 10 sessions, until prevented by extreme weather, such as on 05 September 2024, when we had to turn around on our way to N8’s Alabang clinic via the Skyway. On that day, vehicles stalled before we reached Philcoa, and with the downpour, light vehicles will likely swim through. We turned around.

Dance in the rain

something there, in the rain
the pouring of sadness
in trickles, haunting rhythms
of bodies, in a dance
with pain

The first sessions alleviated the pain, but it bounced back every time the car drives over a hump or a hole. I have high tolerance for pain and normally don’t cry, but I did, unashamedly, in front of my sister, at times of excruciating pain. Over time, under continuing treatment, regular application or hot compress on the affected areas, daily one-hour walks to get my Vitamin D, eating magnesium-rich veggies and natural sources of Vitamin B complex, C and E, I got better! The pain visits, but tolerable. It affirmed my belief in the treatment procedure, drawing inspiration from Thomas A. Edison: “The doctor of the future will give no medication but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, diet and in the cause and prevention of disease”.

Faith is important. I am grateful to God. I am grateful to my guardian spirits.

Note: Most TN victims are women, often after the age of 50, and rarely affects males and children. About 150,000 people in the U.S. receive a TN diagnosis every year, the annual incidence estimated to be around 4 to 29 cases per 100,000 person-years. In the Philippines, studies suggest an incidence of around “4.3 to 4.7 per 100,000 people per year”.

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