Ultrasound Guided Nerve Block in Management of Occipital Neuralgia

Abstract

Background: Occipital neuralgia (ON) is characterized by chronic occipital headaches that are thought to be caused byirritation or insult to the greater occipital nerve (GON). The use of ultrasound (US) to guide the advancement of needles isbecoming increasingly common in chronic pain clinics.The Aim of the Study: Was to evaluate the effectiveness of the US-guided GON block in the management of ON patients.Methods: This single-arm interventional study was conducted on 50 patients aged 18 to 70, both sexes, who had ON, scheduledfor US-guided nerve block. The pain was measured using the visual analogue scale (VAS), outcomes were measured using themodified Rankin scale (mRS), and patient satisfaction was assessed.Results: VAS and mRS measurements were significantly lower immediately post-intervention, 1w, and 1m than pre-intervention (P<0.001). Patient satisfaction score was significantly higher immediately post-intervention, 1w and 1m than pre-intervention (P<0.001).Conclusions: The application of US nerve block holds substantial potential for those affected by ON as it lowers the levels of pain, better outcomes in terms of function as assessed by the MRS and elevates patient satisfaction.