Occipital nerve block.
For occipital neuralgia and cervicogenic headache.
A focused block of the greater and lesser occipital nerves at the base of the skull — fast in-office relief for nerve-driven headache patterns that radiate from the back of the head forward.
Treat the nerve, not the headache symptom.
Occipital neuralgia presents as sharp, electric, or burning pain starting at the base of the skull and radiating forward over one side of the head, often with scalp tenderness. The pattern often follows the territory of the greater or lesser occipital nerve. A targeted block delivers local anesthetic, sometimes with corticosteroid, around the affected nerve at the point where it crosses the upper neck musculature.
A ten-minute, in-office procedure.
You sit upright. The injection site at the base of the skull is identified by palpation, sometimes confirmed with ultrasound. The skin is numbed. A small volume of anesthetic with or without steroid is injected around the nerve. Most patients feel relief within minutes — diagnostically useful. Total appointment time is under twenty minutes.
For headache patterns that originate at the back of the head.
The strongest candidates are patients with classic occipital neuralgia, cervicogenic headache with palpable tenderness at the occipital notch, post-traumatic neck and head pain, and certain mixed migraine-cervicogenic patterns. The block is also used diagnostically before considering occipital nerve stimulation or radiofrequency ablation.
Immediate anesthetic effect. Steroid builds over a week.
The anesthetic relief tells you within minutes whether the nerve was the source. The corticosteroid component, if used, provides additional weeks to months of relief in many patients. Return to normal activity the same day. Repeat blocks every several months are common in patients with strong sustained response.
Stop accepting the downtime.
When the headache starts at the back of the head, the nerve is often the answer. Schedule a consultation at any Triumph location.