Conquer Headaches With An Occipital Nerve Block Procedure

Chronic headaches and occipital neuralgia can be draining conditions.They can strike and disturb a person while he or she is going about the usual daily routine. They can disrupt sleep and make a person irritable.The discomfort can sometimes be difficult to endure. Having an occipital nerve block procedure for this kind of headache can bring relief.

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An occipital nerve block is usually done with steroids and anesthetics by injecting the greater and lower occipital nerve. This commonly outpatient procedure requires a patient to be awake. Because it requires an injection, the patient may feel pain at the back of the head where it is administered. For many, this is the only side effect of the procedure. The purpose of this procedure is to block the pain signal or to reduce the inflammation in the occipital nerves.

Depending on the case, some patients require several procedures before they can experience relief from chronic headaches. The first time usually confirms that the pain is indeed coming from the targeted part, and the succeeding ones help manage the pain. Most doctors don’t recommend getting more than three injections in less than a six-month period because the procedure employs steroids and anesthetics which could be harmful when frequently administered.

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The effects of this treatment can last between a week’s time to a few months. To prevent complications, patients must guarantee that they are not allergic to the medication. The safest way is to employ the supervision of a pain management specialist for the procedure.

A pain management physician, Dr. Melanie Novak, M.D. employs a multidisciplinary approach to treating acute pain using injection treatments, medications, physical therapy, and behavior therapy. More articles on pain management can be accessed on this page.