ReviewPain practice : the official journal of World Institute of Pain2025
11. Cervicogenic headache and occipital neuralgia.
Review in Pain practice : the official journal of World Institute of Pain, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Exploring Proximal and Distal Ultrasound-Guided Greater Occipital Nerve Block Approaches in Migraine: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Pain practice : the official journal of World Institute of Pain · 2026Pooled it
- Peripheral Nerve Stimulation of C2-C3 Nerves for Management of Headaches: A Description of a Novel Technique.Current pain and headache reports · 2026Review
- Approaches to Occipital Neuralgia Treatment: A Systematic Review and Case Examples.Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open · 2026Article
- Central hypoventilation and choking episodes revealing Chiari malformation type I.BMJ case reports · 2026Article
- Pain-free survival after endoscopic neurotomy versus radiofrequency ablation of the C2 dorsal root ganglion for cervicogenic headache: a real-world comparison study.Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Peripheral nerve blocks for primary and secondary headache disorders: review of current evidence and a practical approach.Journal of oral & facial pain and headache · 2026Review
- Minimally Invasive Interventions for Cervicogenic Headache: A Systematic Review of Targeted Anatomical Approaches and Clinical Outcomes.Journal of pain research · 2026Review
- Efficacy of Greater Occipital Nerve Blockade in Craniofacial Neuralgia and Facial Pain Syndromes: A Retrospective Chart Review with Prospectively Collected Follow-Up Data.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- 11. Cervicogenic headache and occipital neuralgia.Pain practice : the official journal of World Institute of Pain · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionCervicogenic headache (CEH) and occipital neuralgia (ON) are headaches originating in the occiput and that radiate to the vertex. Because of the intimate relationship between structures based in the occiput and those in the upper cervical region, there is significant overlap between the presentation of CEH and ON. Diagnosis starts with a headache history to assess for diagnostic criteria formulated by the International Headache Society. Physical examination evaluates range of motion of the neck and the presence of tender areas or pressure points.
methodsThe literature for the diagnosis and treatment of CEH and ON was searched from 2015 through August 2022, retrieved, and summarized.
resultsConservative treatment includes pain education and self-care, analgesic medication, physical therapy (such as reducing secondary muscle tension and improving posture), the use of TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation), or a combination of the aforementioned treatments. Injection at various anatomical locations with local anesthetic with or without corticosteroids can provide pain relief for a short period. Deep cervical plexus block can result in improved pain for less than 6 months. In both CEH and ON, an occipital nerve block can provide important diagnostic information and improve pain in some patients, with PRF providing greater long-term pain control. Radiofrequency ablation of the cervical facet joints can result in improvement for over 1 year. Occipital nerve stimulation (ONS) should be considered for the treatment of refractory ON.
conclusionThe treatment of CEH preferentially consists of radiofrequency treatment of the facet joints, while for ON, pulsed radiofrequency of the occipital nerves is indicated. For refractory cases, ONS may be considered.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.