Two US-guided Techniques for Greater Occipital Nerve Blocks

We conducted a double-blinded, randomized control trial to compare accuracy, efficacy and safety of these two techniques in patients with refractory headache syndromes. Following REB approval, 40 patients with moderate or severe refractory headaches (intensity score>4/10) will be randomized to the "proximal" or "distal" groups with a 1:1 allocation. Each patient receives an injection of 2ml of 0.5% bupivacaine with 40mg of methylprednisolone. The null hypothesis is that there is no difference in intensity scores for headache at one month after the interventions. Outcomes related to efficacy (numbness immediately after the injection, reduction in episodes of severe headache, sleep quality), performance (time taken for and discomfort during procedure), and safety (incidence of hematoma, intravascular injection) are measured after one month.

Inclusion criteria

• Features suggestive of occipital neuralgia: pain that begins in the upper neck and back of the head with radiation forward toward the eye and has an aching or burning character.
• Diagnosis of refractory primary headache, any type
• Baseline NRS headache score of > 4 refractory to conventional oral analgesic therapy (anti-inflammatory drugs, migraine prophylaxis and treatment drugs, opioids).

Exclusion criteria

• Ongoing litigation issues related to the patient's pain
• Pregnancy
• Allergy to steroids or local anesthetics
• Multiple serious comorbidities
• Age < 18 or age ≥ 80 years
• GON injection within last 3 months at time of entry into the trial