# Soo confused! **URL:** \ **Category:** General TN & GPN (Old Site)\ **Created:** [March 3, 2012, 1:51pm UTC](https://forum.livingwithfacialpain.org/t/soo-confused/2170 "2012-03-03T13:51:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![2345woody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/71c47a/32.png) [@2345woody](https://forum.livingwithfacialpain.org/u/2345woody)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 1:51pm UTC](https://forum.livingwithfacialpain.org/t/soo-confused/2170/1 "2012-03-03T13:51:55Z")
ok maybe u all can help me I am confused as to whether I am suffering from myofascial pain instead of tn. reason being is that I also suffer from pain throughout the neck and shoulder. according to the striking back hardback it sounds like my pain but my neurosurgeon said that he can see the artery touch my trigeminal nerve. this sucks I am so confused to add to the stress I’ve been told I have this before but I didn’t keep up with the therapy . any insight would help thank u. ---
**Author:** ![2345woody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/71c47a/32.png) [@2345woody](https://forum.livingwithfacialpain.org/u/2345woody)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 4:20pm UTC](https://forum.livingwithfacialpain.org/t/soo-confused/2170/2 "2012-03-03T16:20:03Z")
I meant the striking back facial pain handbook ---
**Author:** ![anon25930859](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4491bb/32.png) [@anon25930859](https://forum.livingwithfacialpain.org/u/anon25930859)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 4:23pm UTC](https://forum.livingwithfacialpain.org/t/soo-confused/2170/3 "2012-03-03T16:23:25Z")
Trigeminal nerve pain can sometimes be "referred" to the greater or lesser occipital nerve which services the back of the skull and cervical spine in the upper neck. But this type of pain almost never migrates down into the lower neck and shoulder. If you have both face pain and a vascular compression in the MRI imagery, then most neurosurgeons and neurologists would probably tell you that the face pain component of your overall pain profile is probably trigeminal neuralgia or neuropathy (the precise designation will depend on the character of the pain and whether you have a history of any facial traumas). The pain in your neck and shoulder is something else, and myeofascial pain is a candidate for what that "something else" is. There is no magic that says you can only have one neurological disorder or pain issue at a time. Regards and best, R.A. "Red" Lawhern, Ph.D. Resident Research Analyst, LwTN ---
**Author:** ![2345woody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/71c47a/32.png) [@2345woody](https://forum.livingwithfacialpain.org/u/2345woody)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 4:41pm UTC](https://forum.livingwithfacialpain.org/t/soo-confused/2170/4 "2012-03-03T16:41:56Z")
thx red u been helping me alot here lately it’s greatly appreciated Richard A. “Red” Lawhern said: > Trigeminal nerve pain can sometimes be “referred” to the greater or lesser occipital nerve which services the back of the skull and cervical spine in the upper neck. But this type of pain almost never migrates down into the lower neck and shoulder. > > If you have both face pain and a vascular compression in the MRI imagery, then most neurosurgeons and neurologists would probably tell you that the face pain component of your overall pain profile is probably trigeminal neuralgia or neuropathy (the precise designation will depend on the character of the pain and whether you have a history of any facial traumas). The pain in your neck and shoulder is something else, and myeofascial pain is a candidate for what that “something else” is. There is no magic that says you can only have one neurological disorder or pain issue at a time. > > Regards and best, > > R.A. “Red” Lawhern, Ph.D. > > Resident Research Analyst, LwTN ---
**Author:** ![Debbie1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8dc957/32.png) [@Debbie1](https://forum.livingwithfacialpain.org/u/Debbie1)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 10:12pm UTC](https://forum.livingwithfacialpain.org/t/soo-confused/2170/5 "2012-03-03T22:12:01Z")
Have you ever tried massage therapy? This might help alleviate some of the shoulder pain. I am not quite sure what you are feeling but the connective tissue (fascia) might be restricted by the way you react to you facial pain or from something else completely. A body is very complex and tries to protect itself so who knows what is going on there. But if the Neuro can see the compression, I'd say there is TN. There is a type of therapy call Myofascial Release. They don't really massage you and you don't have to get undressed, if you don't like that part, but it would probably help this problem immensely. Good luck to you! ---
**Author:** ![Coqi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19adc/32.png) [@Coqi](https://forum.livingwithfacialpain.org/u/Coqi)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 2:54am UTC](https://forum.livingwithfacialpain.org/t/soo-confused/2170/6 "2012-03-04T02:54:11Z")
woody, I am glad you brought this question up and Red answered. This situation of "referred" pain sounds like it very well could be what happened to me two weeks ago. I had shocks and burning pain hitting the base of my skull, upper neck and what felt like the top of my head. My doctor basically said "Can't be TN so see ya!" What was even more confusing is, along with the new areas of shocks, I developed some myofascial trigger points. Now I do know I have had TN for 10 months and these new pains/sensations for only two weeks. As Red said you can have two problems together but they not have to go together necessarily. But wow - the stress is crazy, right? We have enough stress without being muttled in more. Hope your situation is becoming less of a stress.