Summary

Background:

Greater occipital nerve (GON) blocks are used in migraine management. While ultrasound-guided proximal GON blocks at the C2 level (GONC2) have been suggested to provide more sustained benefit, distal landmark-guided GON blocks are used due to their simplicity and accessibility.

Objectives:

To evaluate distal GON blocks as an initial procedural approach for migraine; to assess the effect of subsequent proximal GONC2 blocks in patients who did not respond to an initial distal block.

Methods:

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of adult migraine patients treated at a tertiary pain clinic between May 2022 and July 2023. Patients received either distal landmark-guided GON blocks or ultrasound-guided proximal GONC2 blocks as part of routine clinical care. Monthly migraine days (MMD) were assessed at baseline, 1 month, and 3 months following treatment.

Results:

The cohort included 54 patients (27 distal, 27 GONC2). Baseline characteristics were comparable between groups. A significant overall effect of time on MMD was observed (P = 0.017). In the distal group, MMD decreased significantly at 1 month (P < 0.001) but not at 3 months. In the GONC2 group, MMD decreased significantly at both 1 month (P < 0.001) and 3 months (P = 0.001). No significant between-group differences were found at 1 month (P = 0.142) or 3 months (P = 0.509).

Conclusions:

Distal GON blocks provide meaningful short-term reduction in migraine frequency and represent an effective, accessible initial interventional option. Proximal GONC2 blocks demonstrate sustained benefit and may be considered in selected patients. These findings support a pragmatic, stepwise approach to procedural migraine management.