ArticleAnesthesiology and pain medicine2021
Pulsed Radiofrequency of the Occipital Nerves: Results of a Standardized Protocol on Chronic Headache Management.
Article in Anesthesiology and pain medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06121037 (Greater Occipital Nerve Pulsed Radiofrequency for the Treatment of Combined Migraine and Cervicogenic Headache), which is not on this map. Cited by 9 papers.
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Greater Occipital Nerve Pulsed Radiofrequency for the Treatment of Combined Migraine and Cervicogenic Headache (New Approach): Randomized Clinical Trial
Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed.
- Comparison of the efficacy of repeated greater occipital nerve block and pulsed radiofrequency therapy in chronic migraine patients: a randomized controlled study.Journal of oral & facial pain and headache · 2024Trial
- Long-term efficacy and predictors of response to greater occipital nerve pulsed radiofrequency in migraine with prior preventive treatment failure.Acta neurologica Belgica · 2026Article
- Peripheral Neuropathy: A Phenotype-Driven Review for Diagnosis and Management.Revista de neurologia · 2026Review
- Comparative Long-Term Outcomes of Pulsed and Lesion Radiofrequency of the Greater Occipital Nerve in Chronic Migraine: A 12-Month Cohort Study.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2025Article
- A comparison of the efficacy of bilateral and unilateral pulsed radiofrequency treatments in the management of chronic migraine.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- A novel technique to identify and thermally ablate the greater occipital nerve for patients with occipital neuralgia: a retrospective study with cadaveric andAnnals of translational medicine · 2024Article
- Pulsed Radiofrequency for Auriculotemporal Neuralgia: A Case Report.Neurology international · 2024Article
- Pulsed Radiofrequency Neuromodulation of the Greater Occipital Nerve for the Treatment of Headache Disorders in Adults: A Systematic Review.Canadian journal of pain = Revue canadienne de la douleur · 2024Article
- Conolidine: A Novel Plant Extract for Chronic Pain.Anesthesiology and pain medicine · 2021Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPulsed radiofrequency (PRF) of the occipital nerves has neuromodulative properties and is used for chronic pain management. However, its role in various types of chronic headaches has not been adequately investigated so far.
objectivesΤhis was an observational, open-label, prospective study aiming to assess the efficacy of PRF of occipital nerves on various types of chronic headache management.
methodsPatients with chronic headaches followed up at the pain management unit were scheduled for PRF of both occipital nerves after a positive diagnostic nerve block. PRF was applied following a standardized protocol at 42°C, and the number of headaches per month was assessed as a primary outcome at baseline (before treatment), as well as after 1, 3, and 6 months. Pain intensity during headache crises was recorded using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS, 0 - 10).
resultsFifty-seven patients suffering from chronic migraines, cluster headaches, tension-type headaches, and occipital neuralgia were studied. PRF significantly improved the number of headache episodes per month, as well as the pain intensity of the crises. The median number of headache episodes per month was significantly reduced in patients with migraine, from 14.5 to 4 after 1 month, and to 6.5 after 6 months. The same was seen for patients with clusters, who were also improved. A statistically significant reduction in NRS values over time was seen for all types of headaches.
conclusionsPRF of the occipital nerves can lead to a reduction of the number of headache episodes per month, improving the intensity of pain during each episode.
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