Shingles Dermatome Face
Shingles on the face and scalp present a special problem as the Trigeminal nerve root ganglia are housed inside the skull. It is in these ganglion or nerve roots that the Varicella Zoster Virus which causes chicken pox live, after the chicken pox has resolved.
The chart below illustrates shingles dermatome of the face and head representing the possible patterns of distribution of shingles disease.
Should you develop postherpetic neuralgia pain (often referred to as PHN) of the face and scalp, I recommend not only treating the area of your skin where the pain is, but extending the treatment to your temple, behind your ear and the base of the skull and upper neck on the affected side.
Here’s why…
For many people, treating the origin of the involved nerves improves the effectiveness of PainBreak® which comes highly recommended for post herpetic neuralgia treatment.
You see, often the pain of Post Herpetic Neuralgia (PHN) is caused by a chronic, low grade infection present in your nerves.
For years the viruses lay dormant in the nerve roots in te base of the skull, they then moved down the nerve, causing your attack of shingles. Therefore, treating the nerve root (i.e. where the nerve connects with the base of the brain) is really treating the low grade infection at its source.
The dermatome map below, gives you a graphic illustration of how your sensory nerves are distributed over the face and scalp, and helps you understand exactly where you should apply the PainBreak® in your postherpetic neuralgia treatment.
DERMATOMES
Follow these 4 simple steps:
- Look at the dermatome map and pencil in the approximate location of your pain.
- Note the areas on the map corresponding to your area of pain and mark this on the map.
- Try to locate the area on your face and scalp that corresponds with the location you marked on the map in step 2 above.
- Massage PainBreak® into that area 2 to 4 times daily, when you massage your area of pain. At the same time, massage PainBreak® over your temple, behind your ear, and over the base of your skull and upper neck on the affected side.
Apply a warm compress to the affected area, for 15 minutes before applying the PainBreak® as this promotes better absorption.
