Occipital nerve block
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| Occipital Nerve Block | |
|---|---|
_-_a_working-guide_for_students_of_medicine_and_a_ready-reference_for_surgeons_and_physicians_(1886)_(14775593414).jpg) Nerves innervating the cranial muscles. Occipital nerves to the bottom left originating from the neck. | |
| Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy |
Occipital nerve block is a procedure involving injection of steroids or anesthetics into regions of the greater occipital nerve and the lesser occipital nerve used to treat chronic headaches.[1] Therapeutic nerve blocks utilized steroids to decrease inflammation around the nerve, while diagnostic occipital nerve blocks utilizes local anesthetic alone to prove that nerve irritation is the cause of a patient's pain. Diagnostic occipital nerve blocks are often used to screen patients for further treatments such as occipital nerve decompression, also called migraine surgery.[2][3][4]
These nerves are located in the back of the head near in the suboccipital triangle along the line between the inion and the mastoid process. They innervate muscles in the suboccipital and posterior scalp regions. The injection will either block pain signals or reduce swelling and inflammation in these regions depending on the choice of injection. The procedure is helpful in treating occipital neuralgia and chronic headaches that arise from the neck.[5]