The Effect of Active Listening on a Patient with Orofacial Pain and Numbness : A Case Report

Abstract

We provided comprehensive treatment for a 41-year-old female patient, who complained of pain and numbness on her upper and lower jaws. Her medical history showed that she was prescribed for anxiety disorders and irritable bowel syndrome at the age of 41.

After the third molar extraction, her upper and lower jaws began to hurt, accompanied by numbness on her cheeks, elbows and finger-tips. She tried acupuncture and Kampo treatment (Chinese herbal treatment), which had no effect on her symptoms. A month after the tooth extraction, she came to our clinic. We prescribed her pregabalin (25mg daily) and mecobalamin (1500μg daily). In addition, she underwent Xenon light therapy and logo-based psychotherapy. While we took a logotherapeutic approach and tried to listen to her with attention and acknowledgment, she came to realize that her pain was intensified when she had anxieties. Her symptoms were fluctuating for a while. Seven months later, her pain measured 2 out of 10 on Numerical Rating Scale (NRS). Since her pain seemed to be greatly influenced by psychological factors, active listening together with drug and Xenon light therapies played a key role in alleviating her symptoms.