Occipital Neuralgia Treatments
The goal of Occipital Neuralgia Treatments is to reverse or control the cause of the nerve problem (if found), and provide pain relief. Treatment for occipital neuralgia begins with seeking medical care from your health care provider. To determine if you have occipital neuralgia, your health care provider may ask you to undergo diagnostic tests. Treatment varies depending on the cause, location, and severity of the pain, and other factors. Even if the cause of the neuralgia is never found, the condition may improve on its own or disappear with time.
Once diagnosed, occipital neuralgia can be treated in several ways. These include local nerve block, peripheral nerve stimulation, steroids, rhizotomy, phenol injections, antidepressants, and Occipital Cryoneurolysis. Pain-relieving treatment for occipital neuralgia may be effective for reducing your pain. Analgesics (pain relievers) are used in the treatment of occipital neuralgia. It is important that you follow your treatment plan for occipital neuralgia precisely and take all of the medications as instructed.
Over-the-counter pain medications may be prescribed. Medications to control pain may include:
- Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin)
- Acetaminophen (Tylenol)
- Naproxen (Aleve)
- Aspirin
- Antidepressant medications (amitriptyline, nortriptyline, or duloxetine)
Antiseizure medications (carbamazepine, gabapentin, lamotrigine, phenytoin, or pregabalin) - Topical creams containing capsaicin
- Mild over-the-counter analgesics (aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen)
Narcotic analgesics (codeine) for short-term relief of severe pain (however, these do not always work well)
- Surgery to remove pressure on the nerve from nearby bones, ligaments, blood vessels, or tumors may be needed.
- Strict control of blood sugar may speed recovery in people with diabetes who develop neuralgia.
- Local injections of pain-relieving (anesthetic) drugs
- Nerve blocks
- Physical therapy (may be needed for some types of neuralgia, especially postherpetic neuralgia)
