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Occipital Nerve Block
For occipital neuralgia, chronic headache, neck pain, and facial pain
What is a Occipital Nerve Block?
The greater and lesser occipital nerve arise from between the first and second cervical vertebrae in the neck. It supplies sensation to the skin along the back of the scalp to the top of the head.
Sometimes, when the occipital nerve is irritated, the pain of this irritation is felt near the eye of the same side of the head. These nerves may also contribute to headaches.
During an occipital nerve block, our practioner will inject a very small amount of medication near the occipital nerve.
The goal is to provide pain relief so that you are able to resume normal activities. The steroid helps to decrease inflammation in the specific location where it is most needed. It helps avoid the potential side effects of taking
a steroid or other medication by mouth where it can then spread to other areas of the body where it may not be needed. The steroid may help the nerve heal by reducing inflammation. It may provide permanent relief or a period of a few weeks/months of relief while the nerve is healing.
What conditions do Occipital Nerve blocks treat?
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Occipital neuralgia
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Chronic migraine
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Cluster headache
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New daily persistent headache
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Upper neck pain
What does the procedure
look like?
The patient remains awake during the entire process. The procedure is done with you sitting in a chair or on the edge of a stretcher. We start by cleaning your neck with alcohol. Using ultrasound guidance, a small needle is inserted into the scalp and the medication is injected. The entire procedure is typically 5 minutes long.