Nerve blocks

Nerve blocks are a safe, effective, and well-tolerated treatment for difficult-to-treat headaches. They are often used when standard medications have not provided enough relief or when a severe headache episode will not go away. This can happen in patients with migraine and is known as status migrainosus. Nerve blocks can also be used to stop a cluster headache cycle.

During the procedure, a small amount of medication is injected near specific nerves involved in headache pain. These can be employed in various parts of the head, targeting nerve endings of the trigeminal nerve, occipital nerve, and more. These medications typically include local anesthetics such as lidocaine, ropivacaine, or bupivacaine, and in some cases a small amount of steroid may also be added to help reduce inflammation and prolong relief.