What Is an Occipital Nerve Block?

An occipital nerve block is a procedure where your doctor injects a combination of pain medicine and steroids into the scalp, at the back of your head. This is usually done to treat chronic headaches.

This treatment works best for people with certain types of headaches, especially those that cause pain at the back of the head. It's particularly helpful for occipital neuralgia (nerve pain) and some types of migraines.

The procedure takes only about 5-10 minutes and is done in a doctor's office. You'll sit or lie down while the doctor gives you a few small injections at the base of your skull where the occipital nerves are located.

Most people feel relief within 15 minutes as the numbing medication takes effect. You might notice temporary numbness at the back of your head or a warm, tingling feeling that spreads across your scalp. The immediate numbing effect wears off after several hours, but the pain relief from the steroid can last much longer. Some people get relief for weeks or even months after a single treatment.

Side effects are usually mild and temporary, such as soreness at the injection site or dizziness. Some people feel a temporary worsening of their headache before improvement. Rarely, there might be hair thinning around the injection site.

If the first nerve block works well but wears off, you can usually get repeat treatments. Many doctors recommend waiting at least three months between steroid injections to lessen side effects from the steroid.