Occipital Nerve Block

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Overview How It Works Conditions It Treats What to Expect FAQs
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A quick injection at the base of the skull that can quiet migraines, occipital neuralgia, and neck-related headaches.

Overview:

The occipital nerves run from the upper neck to the back of the scalp, and when irritated or inflamed they can generate sharp, shooting head pain. An occipital nerve block delivers local anesthetic, often combined with a corticosteroid, around these nerves to interrupt pain signals. It is commonly used for occipital neuralgia, cervicogenic headache (headache stemming from the neck), and as an add-on treatment for chronic migraine.

How It Works:

With the patient typically seated and leaning forward, the nerve is located using surface landmarks near the base of the skull, or with ultrasound guidance in select cases, and a small needle delivers the anesthetic and/or steroid. The injection itself takes only a few minutes, and relief from the anesthetic component is often noticeable within 5-15 minutes, which also helps confirm the diagnosis.

Conditions It Treats:

Headaches & Migraines • Neck Pain

What to Expect:

No sedation is required, so patients can drive themselves home the same day; mild soreness or temporary scalp numbness may occur for a day or two. Relief commonly lasts several weeks up to a few months per injection and varies by individual; blocks can be repeated periodically, and cases with only brief benefit may be considered for radiofrequency treatment of the nerve for more durable relief.

Ready to get away from the pain?

Contact Republic Pain Specialists and get relief today.

Frequently Asked Questions

Republic Pain & Longevity is a patient-centered practice that combines interventional pain management with health optimization programs. We diagnose and treat the source of pain through advanced diagnostics and targeted, minimally invasive therapies, while also helping patients build long-term metabolic health, hormone balance, and vitality through personalized, ongoing care.

Traditional pain management focuses on diagnosing and treating a specific pain condition through procedures like nerve blocks, injections, and radiofrequency ablation. Health Optimization takes a broader, proactive approach — using interventional procedures, diagnostic labs, imaging, diet, exercise, coaching, and lifestyle strategies to decrease inflammation, improve energy, metabolic health, and resilience, whether or not you currently have a chronic pain condition.

We treat a wide range of conditions, including knee osteoarthritis, headaches and migraines, back and neck pain, joint pain, SI joint pain and sciatica, muscle spasms and myofascial pain, nerve entrapments, post-surgical pain, TMJ/jaw pain, long COVID and more. See our Conditions page for the full list and details on each.

No. Our treatments are minimally invasive, image-guided procedures — such as nerve blocks, radiofrequency ablation, and targeted joint or soft-tissue injections — designed to reduce pain and restore function without surgery.

The Peak Wellness Plan is our structured Health Optimization program built around advanced lab testing, a detailed clinical assessment, and a personalized care plan followed over nine months — targeting metabolic health, hormone balance, inflammation, weight, sleep, nutrition, and physical function, with ongoing follow-up to track progress. This integrated approach treats chronic pain as a whole-body issue, not just a symptom to numb – combining precise medical intervention with the lifestyle foundations that support lasting relief.

Vibility is our guided lifestyle curriculum — a structured, self-paced resource that supports patients through nutrition, movement, recovery, and everyday habit changes alongside their clinical care. Real-time reporting on weight, sleep, energy, digestion, focus, and mood keeps you accountable.

Yes. Peptide therapy and IV hydration are available individually or as part of our health optimization offerings, and can be incorporated into your personalized care plan where appropriate.

For patients who prefer to pay out of pocket or whose plan doesn’t cover a given service, we offer financing through Cherry Financial.

 

  • Aetna
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  • BCBS
  • Cigna
  • First Care
  • Healthsmart
  • Humana
  • Medicare
  • Medicaid
  • Molina Health
  • Superior
  • TriCare
  • United Healthcare

Your first visit is a consultation with our team to review your history, any prior imaging or labs, and your goals — whether that’s pain relief, health optimization, or both. From there, we build a personalized plan, which may include additional diagnostics, a procedure, or enrollment in a health optimization program.

Contact our office at 979-703-1426 to schedule a consultation.