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Background: The trigeminocervical system is integral in cervicogenic headache. Cervicogenic headache frequently coexists with complaints of dizziness, tinnitus, nausea, imbalance, hearing complaints, and ear/eye pain. Controversy exists as to whether this constellation of symptoms may be cervically mediated., Objectives: To determine whether a wider spectrum of cervically mediated symptoms exist, and to investigate a potential role of greater occipital nerve blocks (GON) and trigger point injections (TPI) in these patients., Methods: Retrospective review of GON/TPI performed in a tertiary otoneurology/headache clinic from May 2006 to March 2007 for suspected cervically mediated symptoms. Data included chief complaint, secondary symptoms, response to injection, pre-GON/TPI posterior vertex sensation changes to pinprick, cervical spine examination, and response to vibration of cervical and suboccipital musculature., Results: Total number of 147 patients were included. Chief complaints in decreasing frequency: dizziness (93%), tinnitus (4%), headache (3%), and ear discomfort (0.7%). Overall symptoms in decreasing frequency: dizziness (97%), headache (88%), neck pain (63%), tinnitus (23%), and ear discomfort (22%). Improvements after GON/TPI: neck range of motion (71%), headache (57%), neck pain (52%), ear discomfort (47%), dizziness (46%), and tinnitus (30%). Dizziness responders had neck position asymmetries (84%), reproducible dizziness by cervical and suboccipital musculature vibration (75%), and preinjection posterior vertex sensory changes (60%)., Conclusions: A wider spectrum of cervically mediated symptoms may exist by influence of trigeminocervical and vestibular circuitry through cervical afferent neuromodulation. Certain examination findings may help to predict benefit from GON/TPI.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of upper cervical facet joint injections and spinal rami blocks in the treatment of cervicogenic headache., Background: Cervicogenic headache has been recognized as a common and often disabling disorder. The treatment of this headache type remains challenging., Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of 31 patients with refractory cervicogenic headache who underwent fluoroscopically guided C(1/2), C(2/3) facet joint injections and C(2), C(3) spinal rami blocks using a mixture of 0.25% bupivacaine and 3 mg betamehtasone. The outcome measures were the change in headache severity, assessed using an 11-point numerical pain scale, after treatment, and the duration of head pain relief., Results: Twenty-eight (90.3%) patients experienced >50% headache relief after treatment, with an average duration of 21.7 (1-90) days. Mean (+/-SD) head pain intensity decreased from 7.5 +/- 1.3 before treatment to 2.7 +/- 1.9 immediately after it (P < .0001). The procedures were well tolerated., Conclusions: C(1/2), C(2/3) facet joint injections and C(2), C(3) spinal rami blocks were effective and well tolerated for the treatment of cervicogenic headache in this study. The procedures provided significant and prolonged pain relief in the majority of patients. Larger controlled studies are needed to further evaluate the efficacy of this treatment modality in cervicogenic headache.

Background: Cervicogenic headache descriptors include its unilateral nature, "signs and symptoms linking it to the neck," and trauma of the neck. Since the pain often occurs over the C2 or C3 nerve root, we used a modification of the deep cervical block technique for treatment of this refractory type headache., Objective: To determine the efficacy of a modified deep cervical block for treatment of cervicogenic headache., Design: Prospective case study., Methods: Thirty-nine patients referred to our pain clinic participated in this study. All patients had undergone extensive screening/diagnostic testing. The blocks were performed unilaterally, without inducing a risk of invading the neural foramen, and repeat injection of the contra-lateral side occurred at >1 week after initial injection. Patients were followed for a 6-month period using a pain diary and questionnaire. Pain was assessed pre- and post-injection and 3 and 6 months post treatments., Results: The mean treatment period was 59 +/- 61 days. The mean values for pre- and post-injection series pain scores (0-10 pain scale) were 9.54 +/- 1.53 and 6.75 +/- 3.23 respectively (p <0.001). Thirty-three percent (33%) of the patients reported pain scores of < or = 4 on the 0-10 pain scale after their last treatment. Effectiveness of the therapy following the injection procedure was rated to be 42% effective for all first injections and 40% effective for last injections (p =NS). Six months evaluations showed that return of moderate to severe pain took 6.62 +/- 8.1 weeks. At the 3 and 6 months follow up evaluations, mean pain scores had returned to 8.41 +/- 2.96 and 8.83 +/- 2.78, respectively. Ten patients (24%) had pain scores < or = 4 at the 3-month evaluation while 7 of the patients (18%) had pain scores < or = 4 at the 6-month evaluation., Conclusions: These results showed that for some patients this series of blocks provided effective pain relief for 3 months post treatment but by 6 months the pain had returned to pre-treatment levels. This block technique significantly diminished pain after the initial as well as the last treatment. These clinically significant changes in pain relief suggest that more aggressive selective therapy targeting these nerve routes might provide longer lasting relief.

Purpose: To evaluate the repetitive occipital nerve blocks using a nerve stimulator in the treatment of cervicogenic headache., Methods: This prospective noncomparative clinical interventional case-series study included 47 patients suffering from cervicogenic headache using a repetitive guided occipital nerve blockade., Results: Forty-one patients (87%) required more than one injection to achieve six-month pain-relief period. For every three years of headache history, the outcomes demonstrated that a patient needed one additional injection to the basic injection., Conclusion: The repeated nerve stimulator-guided occipital nerve blockade is a treatment mode that may relieve cervicogenic headache with no recurrence for at least six months in addition to alleviation of associated symptoms.

Cervicogenic headache is a chronic hemicranial pain, usually occurring daily. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluated the effectiveness of nerve stimulator-guided occipital nerve blockade in the treatment of cervicogenic headache. The reduction in analgesic consumption was the primary outcome measure. Fifty adult patients diagnosed with cervicogenic headache were randomly divided into two equal groups of 25 patients each. All patients in both groups received greater and lesser occipital blocks, whereas only 16 patients in each group received facial nerve blockade in association with the occipital blocks. The control group received injections of an equivalent volume of preservative-free normal saline. Pain was assessed using the visual analog scale (VAS) and the Total Pain Index (TPI). Forty-seven patients entered into the final analysis as three patients were lost to follow-up. Anesthetic block was effective in reducing the VAS and the TPI by approximately 50% from baseline values (P = 0.0001). Analgesic consumption, duration of headache and its frequency, nausea, vomiting, photophobia, phonophobia, decreased appetite, and limitations in functional activities were significantly less in block group compared to control group (P < 0.05). The nerve stimulator-guided occipital nerve blockade significantly relieved cervicogenic headache and associated symptoms at two weeks following injection.

Unlabelled: The differential diagnosis of headache is often challenging, with significant clinical and socioeconomic consequences of incomplete or inaccurate diagnosis. Overlapping symptoms contribute to the diagnostic challenge. Four female patients, ages 26 to 69 with standing diagnoses of migraine, were evaluated and treated for complaints of chronic, severe headaches. All had obtained limited relief from migraine therapies. On physical examination, all had occipital nerve tenderness or positive Tinel sign over the occipital nerve. All responded well to occipital nerve blocks with local anesthetic, achieving complete or substantial pain relief lasting up to 2 months. We conclude that accurate diagnosis of occipital neuralgia or cervicogenic headache as contributing factors can lead to substantial headache relief through occipital nerve blocks in patients with coexisting or misdiagnosed migraine., Perspective: The pathophysiology of many types of chronic headaches is not well understood. Mixed mechanisms such as neurovascular, neuropathic, myofascial, and cervicogenic may all contribute. Our four patients with chronic headaches responded well to occipital nerve blocks. The neuroanatomical relationship between the trigeminocervical nucleus and occipital nerve may serve as the basis of efficacy for these blocks.