Peripheral nerve block for headaches
Peripheral nerve blocks are one of the most frequently used interventional treatments for headache. Small amount of local anesthetic is injected in specific nerves that are located at the back of the skull (occipital nerves) as well as near the temples and above the eyebrows (trigeminal nerve branches). A successful nerve block can relieve or get rid of headache for several days up to several weeks.
About Peripheral nerve block for headaches
How Peripheral nerve block Works against headaches
Peripheral nerve block may be effective for those living with migraine or chronic headache. They block the pain signals travelling along peripheral nerves and are typically administered to patients via a small-needle syringe at the back of the skull (greater and lesser occipital nerves), temples (auriculotemporal nerves) or above the eyebrows (supraorbital and supratrochlear nerves).
This form of treatment can help people living with migraine or chronic headache in two ways: 1. Nerve blocks can provide relief during a migraine attack, if medications or other forms of treatment have failed. 2. Nerve blocks can also work to treat people with chronic headache by being what we would call a short-term preventive treatment or a bridge treatment. This treatment can last several days, or even weeks, and lead to a reduction in the number of attacks for someone who is waiting for their long-term preventive treatment to begin working.
Source: Americal Migraine Foundation
Who is a candidate for peripheral nerve block?
Chronic or episodic migraine, tension headache, or cluster headache
Cranial neuralgia, including occipital, supraorbital, supratrochlear, and temporal neuralgia
Post-herpetic neuralgia
What to expect During this procedure?
A peripheral nerve block is minimally invasive, generally safe procedure, which is typically performed in a doctor’s office. You will be seated or reclined for the procedure. The area of the skin to be injected will be cleaned, then a very thin needle will be introduced until it reaches the nerve area. Corticosteroid can be added to local anesthetics for longer period of benefits unless contraindicated.
Prior to the procedure, you must report to your provider if you have any history of adverse reaction to local or systemic anesthesia.
You will feel numbness around the injection site almost immediately. The numbing lasts couple to several hours, and while the nerves are numbed, the pain signal between face/head and brain is reset to reduce pain for longer period. The duration of pain reduction varies per individual. Repeated treatment will provide consistent and prolonged pain relief.
FAQs
We’ve got answers.
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As needed as pain returns. Most patients receive peripheral nerve block every month without steroid, 3 months with steroid.
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It burns when local anesthetics are injected, then you will be numbed almost immediately.
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No downtime in most cases, but some report increased headache for a couple days after the procedure, and then experience relief of headache.
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Majority of patients report immediate relief of pain, then the benefits typically last weeks up to months.
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While there are rarely any serious complications associated with this procedure, you may potentially experience a hematoma, slight bleeding where the needle was inserted, an adverse reaction to steroids, or an adverse reaction to the local anesthetic (nausea, sensory abnormalities, chest discomfort or acute headache). Very rarely, facial palsy can result from an peripheral nerve block, however this usually resolves within a few hours.
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