Tic douloureux is the most readily cured chronic pain.

Management with medication is always the treatment of choice, as this approach is effective in at least half of patients with tic douloureux. The most effective medications are anticonvulsants such as carbamazepine, oxcarbamezepine, phenytoin, or gabepentin. When treatment with medication fails, one of the surgical approaches should be considered. The surgeon will consider the location of the pain, the patients' age and health, and other factors before recommending a specific surgical treatment.

Surgical treatments include gangliolysis, neurectomy,  stereotactic radiosurgery (Gamma Knife) and suboccipital craniectomy with microvascular decompression.

Management with medication is always the treatment of choice, as this approach is effective in at least half of patients with tic douloureux. The most effective medications are anticonvulsants such as carbamazepine, oxcarbamezepine, phenytoin, or gabepentin. When treatment with medication fails, one of the surgical approaches should be considered.

This treatment is used for those patients who have failed to get relief with medications, including patients with tic douloureux who have not benefited from medical therapy.

Patients cannot receive this treatment if they are taking anticoagulants or blood-thinning medications.

Eighty percent of patients treated are pain-free one year later, while 50 percent are pain-free five years later.

The risks are very low. Less than half of one percent experience complications.

The individual would continue to live with the pain.

There is no urgency other than seeking relief from the pain associated with Tic Douloureaux. It is considered an elective surgery.