"Doctors should consider radiosurgery earlier for patients with severe facial pain according to a new study in the International Journal of Radiation OncologyBiologyPhysics the Red Journal  the official journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology ASTRO. In the research radiosurgery helped improve the quality of life for patients with trigeminal neuralgia and reduced their depression which is often exacerbated by the side effects of other treatments. The authors from Cleveland Clinic in the US say considering radiosurgery earlier on could make a big difference to patients lives. Trigeminal neuralgia TN is a very painful nerve disorder that causes an electrical shock feeling in the face usually in older people. Some things can trigger it like chewing or even the wind blowing but attacks can be random. On a scale of  patients often describe the pain as   off the scale. TN is commonly treated with antiepileptic medications. While this can reduce the pain it makes patients drowsy and tired and they report feeling drunk. This has an impact on their quality of life and frequently causes depression as it stops them from driving working or even just leaving the house. According to the new study radiosurgery which is normally a second line treatment to be used following the medication helps improve quality of life and reduce depression in patients with TN. By considering it earlier as a treatment option doctors could help improve the lives of patients with TN more quickly. We knew radiosurgery results in pain relief but we didnt know if the patients actually felt better said Dr. Samuel Chao corresponding author of the study. I think people go and see their neurologist and get the pain under control with medication but they dont realize how lousy this can make them feel. Using radiosurgery earlier on allows patients to get off the medications improving their quality of life by allowing them to return to activities they used to do. Radiosurgery is a method for physically treating the nerve using radiation  with stereotactic radiosurgery doctors can focus  beams of radiation on a single point. It is noninvasive so doesnt require the healing time of traditional surgery. Treatment takes less than an hour and requires no anesthetic. However it is often overlooked or delayed as a treatment because there is a lack of capability and experience with the method. Research has shown that radiosurgery reduces pain for  of patients but the broader impact on their lives remained unknown. In the new study Dr. Chao Dr. Kotecha and his colleagues prospectively collected data from  patients they treated with radiosurgery using two questionnaires EuroQOL Dimension and Patient Health Questionnaire . They asked questions about the patients pain and facial numbness their health and their ability to take care of themselves. The researchers analyzed patients answers before treatment and at each followup appointment and found that patients reported an improved quality of life and lower rates of depression after radiosurgery. Importantly the benefit of treatment was strongly driven by improvements in pain and discomfort as well as selfcare.  Pain and the medication to stop the pain make it difficult for people with TN to go outside and live life explained Dr. Chao. With radiosurgery we can reduce pain improve quality of life and decrease depression  people can go out and enjoy life without worrying they will have a random attack. Giving options empowers the patient to be more aware of themselves and manage their own condition. The team plans to analyze the impact of other treatment options and carry out a costbased analysis to establish the best treatment options for TN.  Notes for editors  The article is Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Trigeminal Neuralgia Improves PatientReported QualityofLife and Reduces Depression httpsdoi.org.j.ijrobp... by Rupesh Kotecha Jacob A. Miller Sujith Modugula Gene H. Barnett Erin S. Murphy Chandana A. Reddy John H. Suh Gennady Neyman Andre Machado and Sean Nagel. It appears in International Journal of Radiation OncologyBiologyPhysics available online  April published by Elsevier. Copies of this paper are available to credentialed journalists upon request please contact Name at Email address or Phone number add country code.  About International Journal of Radiation OncologyBiologyPhysics  International Journal of Radiation Oncology  Biology  Physics IJROBP known in the field as the Red Journal is the official journal of the American Society for Radiation Oncology ASTRO. It publishes original laboratory and clinical investigations related to radiation oncology radiation biology medical physics and both education and health policy as it relates to the field. This journal has a particular interest in prospective clinical trials outcomes research and large database interrogation as well as reports of highimpact innovations in single or combined modality treatment tumor sensitization normal tissue protection including both precision avoidance and pharmacologic means brachytherapy particle irradiation and cancer imaging. About Elsevier  Elsevier is a global information analytics company that helps institutions and professionals progress science advance healthcare and improve performance for the benefit of humanity. Elsevier provides digital solutions and tools in the areas of strategic research management RD performance clinical decision support and professional education including ScienceDirect Scopus ClinicalKey and Sherpath. Elsevier publishes over  digitized journals including The Lancet and Cell more than  ebook titles and many iconic reference works including Grays Anatomy. Elsevier is part of RELX Group a global provider of information and analytics for professionals and business customers across industries. http"