Facial Pain
Pain in the face, jaw or around the eye that keeps returning — what facial pain is, the many things that can cause it, and how a pain consultant can help you find the source and ease it.
Facial pain is any pain felt across the face. It can range from a dull ache to sharp, electric-shock-like jolts.
It may settle in the cheek, jaw, around the eye, the temple or the area supplied by the nerves of the face, and it has a long list of possible causes — from the teeth, sinuses and jaw joint to irritation of the trigeminal nerve that carries sensation across the face. Because the cause shapes the treatment entirely, the first step is a careful assessment to work out what's behind it — and many forms of facial pain respond well once the source is pinned down.
Symptoms of facial pain.
Facial pain tells a story through its pattern — whether it's stabbing or aching, what sets it off, and which part of the face it covers all help point to the cause.
Why it happens.
Facial pain is a symptom rather than a single condition, and several very different problems can lie behind it. Identifying which one is the key to treating it properly.
Don't wait for it to settle.
Early assessment helps you get the right treatment sooner. See a specialist if:
Diagnosed by getting to the source.
Because so many things can cause facial pain, diagnosis starts with a careful history and examination to read the pattern — where the pain sits, what triggers it, and how it behaves. Dr Mohamed Khafaga, Consultant in Anaesthesia & Pain Management, will assess your symptoms, consider nerve, dental, sinus and jaw causes, and arrange further investigation only where it would genuinely change the plan. Where it's clearly a dental or sinus problem, he'll point you to the right person to put it right.
How facial pain is treated.
Treatment depends entirely on the cause, so we begin with a clear diagnosis and choose the least invasive option likely to help you.
A full one-to-one assessment with Dr Khafaga to read the pattern of your pain, identify the likely cause and agree the right plan together.
Nerve pain such as trigeminal neuralgia often responds to specific nerve-calming medicines rather than ordinary painkillers — reviewed and adjusted through consultation rather than guesswork.
A targeted injection to settle an irritated facial nerve and interrupt the pain, where a consultant judges it the right step. Dr Khafaga can often assess and treat in the same visit.
For suitable longer-lasting nerve pain, a precise treatment that uses radiofrequency energy to quieten the nerve carrying the pain signal — considered together at your consultation.
Seen in days — not months on a list.
A named specialist, not a junior — all the way through.
Every price published and confirmed in writing.
Seen privately, without the wait.
We bill major UK insurers directly.
Can you tell what's causing my facial pain? +
That's the whole purpose of the assessment. Facial pain has many possible sources — nerve, dental, sinus or jaw — and Dr Khafaga reads the pattern of your symptoms to identify the likely cause and the right treatment. If it turns out to be a dental or sinus problem, he'll point you to the right person to deal with it.
Is facial nerve pain treated with painkillers? +
Often not. Nerve pain such as trigeminal neuralgia usually responds better to specific nerve-calming medicines than to ordinary painkillers, and where medication isn't enough a targeted injection or radiofrequency treatment may be considered. The right approach is agreed with you at your assessment.
How do I arrange to be seen — do I need a referral? +
You can book directly without being referred, and you're welcome to bring any letters or scans you already have. If your GP or dentist has investigated already, that background helps the consultant get to an answer faster.
What will it cost to be assessed? +
An initial consultation with Dr Khafaga is £200, with a follow-up at £134. If a procedure is right for you, a nerve block injection is £450 and radiofrequency treatment is £1,100 — every price is shown before anything goes ahead.
Can I be assessed and treated at the same appointment? +
Often, yes. Where it's clinically appropriate, Dr Khafaga can assess your facial pain and carry out an injection in the same visit. You'd pay for both the consultation and the procedure, and the full cost is clear beforehand.
Don't put up with it.
Book an assessment with a consultant and get a clear picture — and a plan.