These nerves provide sensation to the back of the head, and have no motor function. Inflammation and irritation of these nerves can cause a myriad of problems and pain in the head. Nerve blocks of the occipital nerve are done in the office and it only takes minutes to perform. These nerves often can be a contributing factor in chronic headaches and pain in the upper neck.
The occipital nerves are nerves that exit the skull at the base on both sides. The greater occipital and the lesser occipital nerves are located on both the right and left sides of the neck.
Occipital nerve blocks may help numerous types of headaches. If you suffer from migraines, cluster headaches and cervicogenic headaches, come see Dr. Reid to determine if an occipital nerve block is right for you.
According to Clin Neurol Neurosurg 1992, occipital nerve blocks have shown an 85% rate of good to excellent results for pain relief from headaches for up to six months. For cervicogenic headaches, over 95% of patients receive 6 months of pain relief with these injections (Pain Pract 2006).