Trigeminal Neuralgia is a chronic condition that affects the trigeminal or 5th cranial nerve which is the largestnerves in the head.  Symptoms include extreme, sporadic, sudden burning or shock-like facial pain that lasts from a few seconds to two minutes.  These episodes can occur in quick successions with intensity that can be physically or mentally incapacitating.

The trigeminal nerve is one of the twelve pairs of cranial nerves that originate from the base of the brain.  It has three branches that conduct sensations from the upper, moidd;e and lower partions of the face, as well as the oral cavity, to the brain.