Trigger Point Injections for Tension-Related Neck Pain: What to Expect
Are you struggling with stubborn neck tension? Here, we discuss how trigger point injections can ease muscle knots, reduce pain, and restore movement.
Chronic Headache Care: 6 Benefits of an Occipital Nerve Block
Do you have chronic headaches or migraines that won’t go away with typical treatments? If so, you need to know your options.
Our team at Regenerative Spine and Pain Institute, led by Ronak D. Patel, MD, offers a highly effective solution many people haven’t considered. An occipital nerve block is an in-office procedure that targets the source of certain headaches, providing long-lasting relief.
Here are six key benefits to help you understand whether it might be right for you:
1. Targeted pain relief
Occipital nerve blocks deliver medication directly to the occipital nerves located at the base of your skull. These nerves play a major role in many types of headaches, including migraines, tension headaches, and occipital neuralgia.
By treating the nerves at the source, you may experience more effective and focused relief compared to oral medications.
2. Quick, minimally invasive procedure
The procedure itself is simple and takes only a few minutes. We inject a small amount of local anesthetic (sometimes combined with a steroid) near your occipital nerves. There’s no need for surgery, and most patients can return to normal activities shortly after treatment.
3. Rapid onset of relief
Many patients begin to feel relief within minutes to hours after receiving the injection. While the duration of pain relief varies, you can experience relief that lasts days, weeks, or even longer, depending on your condition and response to treatment.
4. Reduces dependence on medication
Living with chronic headaches often means taking daily painkillers or migraine medications, which can come with side effects and risk of overuse. An occipital nerve block offers a way to manage pain without relying on daily medication, helping reduce the burden on your body and avoiding medication-related complications.
5. Improved quality of life
Chronic headaches can interfere with work, relationships, and everyday life. When your pain is under control, you’re more able to enjoy daily activities, think clearly, sleep better, and participate in the things that matter most.
6. May help identify the source of pain
Occipital nerve blocks can also serve a diagnostic purpose. If the injection significantly reduces your headache pain, it helps confirm that the occipital nerves are involved, giving Dr. Patel important information to guide long-term treatment planning.
Get the relief you need
If you’ve tried multiple treatments for chronic headaches with little success, an occipital nerve block might offer the relief you've been searching for. Talk with our team to see if this treatment is right for your type of headache and health history.
Schedule an evaluation by phone at 609-269-4451 or book online now. We have offices in Plainsboro Township, Manalapan, and Freehold, New Jersey.
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