Repetitive occipital nerve blockade for cervicogenic headache: expanded case report of 47 adults.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the repetitive occipital nerve blocks using a nerve stimulator in the treatment of cervicogenic headache.


METHODS
This prospective noncomparative clinical interventional case-series study included 47 patients suffering from cervicogenic headache using a repetitive guided occipital nerve blockade.


RESULTS
Forty-one patients (87%) required more than one injection to achieve six-month pain-relief period. For every three years of headache history, the outcomes demonstrated that a patient needed one additional injection to the basic injection.


CONCLUSIONS
The repeated nerve stimulator-guided occipital nerve blockade is a treatment mode that may relieve cervicogenic headache with no recurrence for at least six months in addition to alleviation of associated symptoms.
Naja
Zoher M
ZM
Anesthesia Department, Makassed General Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon. zouhnaja@yahoo.com
El-Rajab
Mariam
M
Al-Tannir
Mohamad A
MA
Ziade
Fouad M
FM
Tawfik
Omar M
OM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002045:Bupivacaine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000503:physiopathology; D003000:Clonidine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004568:Electrodiagnosis; D005260:Female; D005283:Fentanyl / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008012:Lidocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009407:Nerve Block / Q000379:methods*; D051298:Post-Traumatic Headache / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013127:Spinal Nerves / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D004338:Drug Combinations; D008012:Lidocaine; D003000:Clonidine; D005283:Fentanyl; D002045:Bupivacaine