In this Clinical Relevance video, I share my personal experience with unexplained facial pain—and how dry needling targeted the root cause: neurogenic inflammation. Let’s break down the science, my self-treatment approach, and why this matters for your practice.

The Mystery: Unexplained Facial Pain

Last December, I woke up with a deep, aching pain in my teeth and jaw—no injury, no grinding, no sinus issues. By midday, the pain had spread into my maxillary region and up toward my right eye, mimicking a migraine (even though I’ve never had one). The pattern followed the ophthalmic and maxillary branches of the trigeminal nerve, but there was no obvious trigger.

Key Symptoms:

✔️ Tooth/jaw ache (worse on the right).
✔️ Radiating pain into the cheek and forehead.
✔️ No mechanical cause: No clenching, dental work, or illness.

This wasn’t a typical toothache. It was neurogenic inflammation—a hypersensitive nerve signaling system gone haywire.

My Dry Needling Approach

Instead of reaching for medications, I turned to my best anti-inflammatory tool: dry needling. Here’s how I treated it:

Targeting the Trigeminal Nerve Branches:

🩸 Supraorbital (above the eyebrow) and infraorbital (below the eye) regions.
🩸 Infraorbital (above the upper teeth)

Technique:

🔹 Superficial insertion—no deep needling or manipulation.
🔹 Left needles in place for 30 minutes to calm nerve inflammation.

Result:

✅ Immediate symptom reproduction (a sign of accurate needling).
✅ Full resolution by the next morning. No recurrence since.

The Science: Why It Worked

Neurogenic inflammation occurs when nerves release inflammatory chemicals (e.g., Substance P) due to irritation. Dry needling interrupts this cycle by:

✔️ Calming Nerve Afferents – Superficial needling reduces signals from hyperactive nerves.
✔️ Activating Anti-Inflammatory Pathways – Stimulates mast cells and non-neural cells to release anti-inflammatory mediators.
✔️ Leveraging Nerve “Flow” – Inflammation in one part of a nerve affects its entire length. Targeting supraorbital and infraorbital points influences the whole trigeminal network.

Supporting Evidence:

📖 Research by IDN instructors found that superficial needling in the trigeminal distribution improved cervicogenic headaches and neck mobility.
📖 The trigeminocervical complex links facial nerves to cervical spine function, explaining why facial needling can also relieve neck-related pain.

Clinical Takeaways for Practitioners

🔹 Think Beyond Local Symptoms:
Pain in the face or teeth may stem from neurogenic inflammation, not structural issues.

🔹 Start Superficial:
Cutaneous needling can modulate nerve inflammation without deep tissue disruption.

🔹 Target Homeostatic Points:
These “windows” into the nervous system (e.g., supraorbital, infraorbital) amplify anti-inflammatory effects.

🔹 Consider the Bigger Picture:
Nerve inflammation in one area (face) can influence distant regions (neck, head).

Why This Matters

My case highlights dry needling’s versatility. Whether it’s facial pain, migraines, or cervicogenic issues, the principles remain the same:

➡️ Reduce neurogenic inflammation.
➡️ Restore nervous system balance.

🎥 Watch the Full Video Above to see my self-treatment process and learn how to apply these techniques in your practice.

🔹 Have you tried superficial dry needling for facial pain? What results have you seen? Let’s discuss in the comments! 👇

Explore more case studies and techniques in Integrative Dry Needling’s Clinical Relevance YouTube series.

#dryneedling #IDN #neurologicdryneedling #neurogenicinflammation #success #facial pain #toothache