Occipital Nerve Blocks

Sometimes, headaches or eye pain can be attributed to the irritation of the occipital nerve, which provides sensation to the skin on the back of the scalp all the way to the top of the head. In this case, a patient may benefit from an occipital nerve block, which involves an injection of some combination of anaesthetic and steroid near the nerve, at the back of the patient’s head above the neck. This procedure can reduce pain that a patient usually feels on one side of the head.

The actual procedure involves the patient lying on their back and the doctor numbing the scalp with a needle on the side of the head experiencing pain. A patient undergoing an occipital nerve block procedure can usually drive home. The effects of the local anaesthetic may subside after a few hours, but the effects of the steroid will strengthen over the next few days.