Occipital Nerve Block

What Is Occipital Nerve Block?

The occipital nerve block is a medical procedure where we administer a dose of medication into an area in the back of your head.

Occipital Nerve Block: Why Is it Used?

We use an occipital nerve block to diagnose and treat a type of tension headache that is most likely due to:

  • Occipital neuralgia: A neurological condition caused by inflammation or injury to the occipital nerves, the nerves that run from the top of the spinal cord through the scalp

  • An irritation of a nerve in the back of your head

Many people who suffer from pain caused by occipital tension headaches experience relief of their symptoms with this treatment.

Rapid Pain Relief with Occipital Nerve Block

You will experience relief from your symptoms fairly quickly after you receive the injection.

  • If we use a local anesthetic followed by a steroid medication, expect to feel some initial pain relief that may then dissipate when the local anesthetic wears off after several hours.

  • You can then expect to feel some additional pain relief approximately 48 hours later when the steroid medication begins to take effect.
