“Key points: Two phenomenal therapies in one–a real targeting treatment: nerve sources and muscle sources of pain. An evidence-based, 5-star strategic approach that prizes the most long-awaited comfort for patients after exhausting all other options.”
Headaches and migraines can maim all aspects of your life. The Migraine Surgery Speciality Centre understands that meaningful long-term relief is, at times, not easy to find but is possible. This is why we have put together treatments that are innovative, evidence-based, and beyond mere symptom management for nerve block for headache. Among the examples of such interventions quickly gaining notoriety for effective applications is Combination Therapy, specifically Greater Occipital Nerve Block (GONB) and Myofascial Trigger Point Injections.
Let’s take you through how this combined initiative works, why it is effective, and how it could potentially fill in a missing link in your treatment plan.
What is GONB?
The headache nerve block is essentially a minimally invasive procedure whose target is the nerve transmitting the pain signals to the brain. The greater occipital nerve is the focus in GONB; it’s a major nerve stretching from neck to scalp.
Tension-type headaches and sometimes migraines can arise from the inflamed or irritated condition of this nerve. The use of anesthetic in combination with corticosteroids injected around this nerve reduces inflamed conditions and blocks pain signals.
Migraine treatment through a block of occipital nerves works best for those experiencing chronic pain mostly at the back of the head or neck and radiating forward. Blocking this nerve makes fast and sustained relief available for many patients.
What Are Trigger Point Injections for Myofascial Trigger Points?
Muscle tensions and tight knots known as trigger points are additional hidden causes of chronic headache. These knots form in the upper back, shoulders, and neck muscles, leading to pain that is referred into the head and mimicking or triggering migraine symptoms.
Trigger point injections mean injecting small quantities of anesthetic, saline, or corticosteroid directly into these muscle knots. The goal is relaxing the muscles, improving blood flow into those segments, and decreasing referred pain. This mode of treatment does well with patients who have head pains as a result of tenderness in their muscles.
What Is It About GONB and Trigger Point Injections Being Brought Together?
From their individual merits, GONB and trigger point injections are each capable of much in terms of relief. However, combination of the two would create a synergistic effect – an effect that will address both nerve and muscle sources of pain related to chronic migraine.
This is the way combination therapy makes a different:
- GONB will treat the nerve source of pain.
- Trigger point injections will address muscle tension that may exacerbate the nerve.
- In conjunction, they treat inflammation and muscle spasms.
- This dual-action approach will help reduce frequency, severity, and duration of headaches.
- Patients participating in combination therapy will report better quality of life and reduced dependence on oral medications with their side effects and losses of potency over time.
Does it hurt?
Most patients find them fast and feel only a little discomfort. Using very precise, guided techniques, our skilled clinicians are effective in this area.
What are the potential side effects?
Minor soreness or bruising at the site of injection. Some patients may experience worse pain after occipital nerve block, but this typically will last only within the day or so. Rarely, a patient may feel dizzy or lightheaded temporarily.
Is it safe?
Yes. GONB and trigger-point injections are both considered to be safe if conducted by a trained professional. Our center carries out each of these procedures under stringent safety procedures utilizing most modern practices in headache medicine.
Who is the Ideal Candidate?
Ideal candidates for this combination therapy are:
- Suffer from chronic migraines or tension-type headaches
- Have muscle tension in the neck or upper back regions
- Are partially responsive to medications or other treatments
- Wanting to cut down on daily migraine medications
Our team will assess whether you are a good candidate through a thorough, inclusive assessment (including a detailed headache history, physical exam, and appropriate imaging when needed).
What Will Be Expected During the Procedure
This procedure of combination therapy takes less than 30 minutes. Below is a quick overview of the process of combination therapy.
- Comfortably positioned in one of our therapy rooms.
- The area for the occipital nerve block is then sterilized and injected with the anesthetic mixture.
- Next, our specialist locates and injects the identified trigger points in your neck or shoulders.
- You are usually able to resume normal activities by the end of the same day.
Relief starts working now and keeps functioning from hours to a couple of days, while enjoying its effects over a number of weeks. Treatments may recur depending on the responsiveness of your treatment.
Evidence-Based Results
Research evidence coupled with personal experiences from trial patients supports this view. In fact, a recent study has shown that incidence of headache days reduced in a month, pain intensity waned, sleep and mood improved, and diminished need for rescue medications among patients who received both treatments.
At our center, we always check the outcome parameters and fine-tune treatment plans to the end. Our entire integrated approach personalizes your journey to a healthier future.
This Is How Your Path to Relief Starts
At the Migraine Surgery Speciality Centre, we are determined to do more than mask your symptoms with temporary fixes. You do not have to suffer in silence. Our combination therapy with GONB and myofascial trigger point injections is among many of the innovative approaches we have that work for you.
