Greater Occipital Nerve Block

The Greater Occipital Nerve Block Procedure is an injection into the soft tissues of the back of your head next to the greater occipital nerve, which is the likely cause of your headache.

Why is a Greater Occipital Nerve Block Procedure helpful?
It is helpful in the diagnosis and treatment of your headache, which is likely due to a disorder of your greater occipital nerve. Two medications are used for the injection: a shorter-acting local anesthetic numbing agent and a longer-acting anti-inflammatory steroid agent. You will likely experience temporary pain relief after the injection due to the shorter-acting local anesthetic numbing agent. Then, you will likely experience longer pain relief after the injection due to the longer-acting anti-inflammatory steroid agent.

What happens during a Greater Occipital Nerve Block Procedure?
You will be asked to sit or lie on the procedure table. The skin of the back of your head at the injection site will be cleaned with an anti-bacterial solution. You will experience an initial sting at the injection site, as the skin will be numbed with a local anesthetic numbing agent. Then, the doctor will inject the medications (local anesthetic and steroid) next to your greater occipital nerve. The injection procedure itself is brief, usually lasting less than 10 minutes.

What happens after a Greater Occipital Nerve Block Procedure?
You will be observed for at least 10-15 minutes in after the procedure. You may become a little sore at the soft tissues of the procedure site, which is normal and to be expected. You may apply an ice-pack to the sore area of the procedure site. It may take 48 to 72 hours to experience pain relief from the longer-acting anti-inflammatory steroid agent.

Can I go to work the next day after a Greater Occipital Nerve Block Procedure?
You can return to work the same day.