Treating Migraine with Greater Occipital Nerve Blocks
A skilled examination of the neck need not be an after thought
Whilst the primary of this study was to assess the effectiveness of greater occipital nerve blocks on ‘medication overuse headache’, it also demonstrated that of 108 nerve blocks, 78% of headache sufferers responded with an average 83% decrease in severity which lasted almost 7 weeks.
The greatest effect was in those patients whose headaches developed after being concussed (100%), then 89% for episodic migraine and less effect on those with chronic migraine (61%).
Once again more evidence that examination of the upper neck in headache and migraine sufferers should not be an ‘after-thought’ – it should be routine – it borders on irresponsibility if an examination of the neck is not performed once all other investigations have been carried out ….
Cheers
Dean
(Tobin JA, Flitman SS. Nerve Blocks: Effect of Symptomatic Medication Overuse and Headache Type on Failure Rate. Headache 2009;49(10);1479-1485)
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