Occipital Nerve Blocks (ONB)
A superficial injection of an anesthetic (AKA “numbing agent”) in the back of the head over the skull base to “block” the occipital nerves. Both the “greater” and “lesser” occipital nerve can be blocked on either side depending on the specifics of the patient’s situation. The procedure takes 5-6 minutes and typically provides immediate (within minutes) pain relief.
An occipital nerve block is a superficial injection of an anesthetic (AKA “numbing agent”) in the back of the head over the skull base to “block” the occipital nerves. Within a couple minutes of the injection, the entirety of the back of the head will go numb. The procedure itself takes 5-6 minutes and typically provides immediate (within minutes) pain relief. The numbness will persist the remainder of the day (and occasionally partially into the next day) before resolving. Even though the numbness is short-lived, the benefits of “resetting” the occipital nerves (and pain centers in the spinal cord and brain) can provide improvement in headache frequency and severity for upwards for 2-4 weeks thereafter. These can be repeated on a scheduled basis (typically every 4 weeks) for ongoing benefit if desired/needed. This treatment is an excellent treatment to get patients out of headache crisis quickly.
There are no restrictions before or after the procedure. You do not need a driver. There are no major side effects to this procedure besides a numbing sensation on the back of your head and some patients will feel mild dizziness after the procedure as they adjust to the numbness. This is short-lived if it occurs at all. There are no medication restrictions on the day of an occipital nerve block. We ask that you refrain from putting any ice or heat on the back of the head while numb to avoid injuring (thermal burn) yourself due to lack of sensation. You can feel free to ice or heat the area the following day once the numbness has resolved.
This is an injection-based procedure with very little risk. With any procedure, there is risk of bleeding or infection. The locations of the injections are considered “compressible” sites; therefore, any bleeding would resolve with direct pressure. For some patients, it can be sore over the injection sites the following day, which can at times cause a temporary exacerbation of head pain. Any worsening of head pain or soreness is temporary and will resolve within days to a week of the procedure. Over-the-counter medications can be used if needed the day of or days following the procedure.
Combined, the providers at PHI have performed over 100,000 occipital nerve blocks.
Get in Touch
