An occipital nerve block is a procedure where your doctor injects a combination of local anesthetic (numbing medication) and steroid in the back of your head. This is usually done to treat chronic headaches caused by an irritation to the nerve in the back of your head. The occipital nerve block procedure should give you quick relief from this type of headache.
What Does an Occipital Nerve Block Treat?
An occipital nerve block treats different types of head pain, including:
Occipital neuralgia: If you have a headache that starts at the base of your skull and goes around one side, up to your forehead, temple, and the eye, it may be caused by irritation of your occipital nerves. Your occipital nerves branch off from your spinal cord at the base of your skull. Pain that comes from irritation of these nerves is called occipital neuralgia.
Migraine Headaches: An occipital nerve block can also help headaches that aren’t directly caused by nerve irritation. Your occipital nerves may act as transmitters of pain signals that cause migraines. Blocking the signals from your occipital nerves may therefore remove the pain associated with them.
Cluster Headaches: Cluster headaches are one of the most painful types of headaches. They occur in clusters, or cyclical patterns. Cluster headaches may wake you up in the middle of the night. They cause intense pain around one eye on one side of your head.
Diagnostic Injection: An occipital nerve block can also be used to diagnose other issues. It can be hard to tell the difference between pain that starts in your occipital nerves and pain that comes from another part of your spine. An occipital nerve block can help your doctor determine exactly where your pain is coming from and create a plan for more targeted therapy.
How is an Occipital Nerve Block performed
- Commonly, the procedure is performed without any sedation, however, an IV line can be started if relaxation medicine is needed.
- The patient lies face down on a procedure table, and the skin over the area to be tested is well cleansed.
- A local anesthetic will be injected so that you won't feel any pain during the procedure. The medicine for the occipital block will be inserted near your occipital nerve through a small needle near the base of your skull.
- Your headache may get worse briefly when the medicine is injected. This is a sign that the medicine is going to the right place. The procedure usually lasts around 15 minutes.
After Your Procedure
- Fever over 100 degrees Fahrenheit
- Swelling, redness, or bleeding at the injection site that lasts for over 24 hours
- Chills
- Any new or unexplained symptoms
Potential Side Effects
- Pain at the site of the injection
- Infection
- Bleeding
- Weakness
- Dizziness
- Numbness
- Lightheadedness
How Long Will an Occipital Nerve Block Last?
There’s no way to predict how long an occipital nerve block will last. It varies for each person. Some people experience pain relief that lasts for months. For others, it’s not effective or lasts only a few days. If you experience relief but it’s short-lived, you may want to try again.
There’s a limit to how many steroid injections you should have. Your doctor will talk to you about how often you can have them.
