What Are Occipital Nerve Injections?
- Chronic migraine
- Episodic migraine
- Tension-type headaches
- Occipital neuralgia
How Is an Occipital Nerve Block Performed?
An occipital nerve block can be performed in an office setting and the procedure is relatively quick and easy. The patient is either seated or lying down and the procedure is conducted without full sedation. A local anesthetic may be applied to the skin above the occipital nerve to be targeted to avoid pain or discomfort during the procedure.
A fine needle is inserted until it is sufficiently near the nerve, and then steroids and local anesthetics are injected to lower the inflammation and block the transmission of pain signals to the brain. This helps to lower the sensation of headache pain. The pain management specialist will likely keep the patient in the office for a bit of time for monitoring.
What Are the Results From an Occipital Nerve Block?
The pain relief experienced by an occipital nerve block varies in every patient. For some, it may be instantaneous, but for others the relief doesn’t come for a day or more. Certain patients may need two injections in quick succession to get the optimal result, while others may go months without needing another injection.