This type of pain has also been called geniculate neuralgia or nervus intermedius neuralgia. The nervus intermedius is a small branching nerve from the facial nerve. It is a severe, shooting, sharp, stabbing, quickly occurring pain deep in the ear canal or around the ear, and can sometimes radiate to the back of the head on the same side. The pain lasts a few seconds to minutes. It can be triggered by stimulation of an area in the back wall of the ear (auditory) canal and/or the area around the ear (periauricular region).