Greater Occipital Nerve Blockade and Sphenopalatine Ganglion Blockade in Patients With Episodic Migraine

New Valley University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Sphenopalatine Ganglion Block; Episodic Migraine; Greater Occipital Nerve Block

Treatments: Other: Sphenopalatine ganglion blockade; Other: Greater occipital nerve blockade

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06997562

20250430007

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study compares the effectiveness of greater occipital nerve blockade and sphenopalatine ganglion blockade in reducing headache intensity, duration, frequency, and disability in patients with episodic migraine.

Full description

Migraine is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by recurrent headaches, affecting millions globally. Peripheral nerve blocks such as Greater Occipital Nerve (GON) and Sphenopalatine Ganglion (SPG) blockade have emerged as promising non-pharmacologic treatments.

Enrollment: 60 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Adults aged 18-65 years.
• Both sexes.
• Diagnosed with episodic migraine per the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition (ICHD-3).
• Failure to achieve adequate relief with at least one prophylactic migraine treatment.

Exclusion criteria

• Chronic migraine (≥15 headache days per month).
• History of nerve blocks within the last 6 months.
• Known allergy to anesthetic agents.
• Pregnancy or lactation.
• Active psychiatric conditions affecting compliance.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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60 participants in 2 patient groups

Greater occipital nerve blockade group

Experimental group

Description:

Patients will receive greater occipital nerve blockade using 2 mL of 2% lidocaine at the medial one-third of the line between the occipital protuberance and mastoid process.

Treatment:

Other: Greater occipital nerve blockade

Sphenopalatine ganglion blockade group

Experimental group

Description:

Patients will receive greater sphenopalatine ganglion blockade using 2 mL of 2% lidocaine using a transnasal approach with a cotton swab inserted along the superior middle turbinate to the posterior nasopharyngeal wall.

Treatment:

Other: Sphenopalatine ganglion blockade