Occipital Nerve Block Injection (ONB)

This is an injection given into the occipital nerve at the back of the neck, behind the ear. It works by chemically blocking the migraine pain pathway.

A trial to investigate the efficacy of this procedure has been carried out in the UK and the results should be available later in the year.

Have you had one of these? How did you find it?

Personally I have had 2 of these - very simple to do and did not hurt at all.

I found the first one reduced both the head and neck pain a lot.

Sadly my second one did nothing

But if it is offered to you, I would recommend it.

I had this too and the proceedure itself is nothing to be afraid of sadly it didn't work for me but I know many people it helped a great deal so I would recommend giving it a try if it's offered to you.

It is a bit hit and miss in so far as you can have a brilliant response one time and nothing the next..no one knows why this is but when it works, it works really well.
Jane
x

The first one I had was on the left side and it reduced my pain for 4 days but then it swapped sides so Dr S decided that I needed one on the right side three weeks later. However, he wasn't there to give it and so the SHO did it instead and after examining the back of my head he decided that the left side was more tender and so injected the left side again...BIG BIG mistake...my pain hit the roof and I went into Status Migrainosus and had a 4 week stay in QS. I was given one on the right side whilst in but it had no benefit.

So for information it is necessary to have a space of 3 months between each GONB on the same side. I have had them since incorporated in my multiple cranial nerve blocks and during my ONSI surgeries.

Michala
x