Third Occipital/ Greater Occipital nerve block/ Radiofrequency ablation MIPSI
MIPSI or Minimally invasive pain and spine interventions is a broad term which encompasses all the Non-invasive and minimally invasive interventions done by the interventional spine and pain physicians for myriad of conditions right from Musculo-skeletal disorders like back pain, neck pain, knee pain etc.
Where are TON/ GON nerves located ?
Occipital nerves are a group of nerves located in the upper part of the neck. These are 3 in number; Greater Occipital, Lesser Occipital and Third Occipital. They originate from the Cervical spinal nerves C2 and C3 and mainly carry sensory fibers except TON which carry some motor fibers.
They supply the skin overlying the upper part of neck and posterior and lateral scalp region till the eyeballs.
What are the Indications of TON/GON block/RF ablation?
- Chronic Migraine
- Cluster headache
- Cervicogenic headache
- Occipital neuralgia
How TON/GON block/RF ablation relief pain?
Upper Cervical neurons are the components of what is called Trigeminocervical complex which is a complex network formed between them and the trigeminal neurons and has been implicated in development of different types of headaches.
By targeting the Occipital nerves with blocks or radiofrequency ablation nociceptive inputs from the cervical region are blocked, thus breaking a vicious cycle of stimulation and pain and hence, bringing about relief from headaches.
How many times this procedure has to be repeated?
Most patients need only one injection. In cases where patient have chronic and severe debilitating pain, procedure may need to be repeated. Decision to repeat the procedure is taken by your doctor looking at your clinical condition and the relief percentage from previous procedure.
Use of radiofrequency ablation brings about a long lasting pain relief and patient may not need any other intervention.
Will I require hospitalization for this procedure?
No. This is a Day care procedure. Patient is advised about the Pre-procedure precautions before- hand. On the day of the procedure, patient arrives 2 hours before the procedure and is discharged same day after 2 hours of monitoring.
To see how this procedure is done, click the below link