Chronic migraine
Short-term prevention · Specialist use / limited evidenceA specialist procedure sometimes used as a bridge or adjunct; not a universal long-term preventive.
NICE headache guideline: migraine and cluster headacheGreater occipital nerve block
Greater occipital nerve block is one option discussed in migraine care. Clea explains where it sits in the treatment landscape without recommending it for an individual person.
Checking review recordSource references are available below.
ROLE BY HEADACHE TYPE
Which patterns is this used for?
Frequency and symptoms can overlap: someone can have chronic migraine and vestibular symptoms, for example. Choose a label to explore usual roles, not to select a treatment for yourself.
General information, not personal medical advice. Some uses are off-label or supported by limited evidence. TGA approval, PBS eligibility and individual suitability differ. Do not start, stop or change treatment without your clinician or pharmacist.
Cluster headache (not migraine)
Short-term prevention · Specialist use / limited evidenceA specialist bridging approach while preventive management is arranged; technique and suitability matter.
NICE headache guideline: migraine and cluster headacheUse labels are an editorial guide to the cited sources, not a clinical recommendation or an independent clinical-review badge. Each profile retains its separate review status.
Where it fits
Short-term or bridging option in selected headache settings.
Administration
Injection around the greater occipital nerve by a clinician.
What we know
Evidence varies by headache phenotype and technique.
Access
Available through selected Australian headache/pain services.
Mechanism, in plain language.
A nerve block uses local anaesthetic, sometimes with another medicine depending on the procedure, to temporarily alter signalling in a targeted nerve pathway. The duration and role vary by headache phenotype and technique.
Decide what “working” would mean.
For prevention, one attack does not tell you whether the treatment is working. Track headache days, migraine-like days, severity, functional impact and acute-medicine days over the review period your clinician recommends. A useful response can be fewer attacks, less severe attacks, better function or a combination of these.
Questions for the treatment conversation
- What is the goal of using Greater occipital nerve block in my migraine plan?
- How will we decide whether it is helping enough to continue?
- What side effects or warning signs should I know about?
- Do any of my other medicines, conditions, pregnancy plans or allergies change the discussion?
- What is the current Australian access pathway and likely cost for me?
Give the next review better evidence.
Before and after a treatment change, record migraine-like days, total headache days, acute medicine days, severity and functional impact. If you notice side effects, record what happened and when rather than relying on memory at the next appointment.
Add to My TreatmentsSAFETY
Suitability is individual.
Procedure-specific risks and individual suitability require clinical assessment.
Clea does not recommend, start, stop or change medicines. Discuss individual treatment decisions with your GP, neurologist, pharmacist or other treating clinician.
CLEA COMMUNITY EXPERIENCE · NOT DRUGS.COM
Compare experiences from the same pattern.
People can report a migraine frequency and a symptom pattern separately, such as chronic plus vestibular. Labels are self-reported, not independently diagnosed or verified. Groups can overlap and cannot establish that one treatment works better than another.
Viewing: All migraine frequencies · All symptom patterns
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Small, self-selected groups are not clinical trials. Scores are perceived experiences and may reflect dose, treatment duration, other conditions and access as well as benefit. No personal identities are published here.
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Therapeutic Goods AdministrationPharmaceutical Benefits SchemeMigraine & Headache Australia drug directoryKeep your treatment story in one place.
Add treatments you have tried to My Clea, then use your history when preparing for your next appointment.
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