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Greater Occipital Nerve Entrapment

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Peripheral Nerve Entrapments

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Abstract

The greater occipital nerve (GON) entrapment commonly causes occipital and cervicogenic headaches and can sometimes cause headaches with similar characteristics to migraine headaches. Diagnosis is made by physical examination of the neck and injection of local anesthetic. Treatment for GON includes medications, nerve injections, cryoneuroablation, radiofrequency lesioning, neuromodulation, and surgical decompression.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pain and Headache Center, Anchorage, AK, USA

    Andrea M. Trescot MD, ABIPP, FIPP

  2. Department of Neurology, Northwest Hospital, 1536 N 115th St., Suite 330, Seattle, WA, 98133, USA

    Esther Rawner MD

  3. Pain and Interventional Medicine, Neurosurgery, UPMC Hamot Medical Center, Erie, PA, USA

    David M. Irwin

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  1. Andrea M. Trescot MD, ABIPP, FIPP
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  2. Esther Rawner MD
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  3. David M. Irwin
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Correspondence to David M. Irwin .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Pain and Headache Center, Anchorage, AK, USA

    Andrea M. Trescot MD, ABIPP, FIPP (Medical Director) (Medical Director)

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Physical exam of the greater occipital nerve (MOV 40425 kb)

Landmark-guided injection of the greater occipital nerve (MOV 29122 kb)

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Trescot, A.M., Rawner, E., Irwin, D.M. (2016). Greater Occipital Nerve Entrapment. In: Trescot, A.M. (eds) Peripheral Nerve Entrapments. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-27482-9_17

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