• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.390-394
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• 1996

Background: Occipital neuralgia is characterized by pain, usually deep and aching, in the distribution the second and/or third cervical dorsal root. Two broad groups of patients include primary occipital neuralgia with no apparent etiology and secondary neuralgia with structural pathology. Patients with occipital neuralgia can develop autonomic changes and hyperesthesia. In patients who have not improved with conservative treatment, we have carried out various nerve blocks and evaluated the effectiveness. Methods: In a series of 20 occipital neuralgia patients with no apparent etiolgy, we have carried out great occipital nerve blocks with needle TEAS. In patients who have not improved more than 75% on VAS with great occipital block, we have carried out C2 ganglion blocks and in patients who have not improved more than 75% with C2 ganglion block, C3 root blocks, C2/C3 facet joint blocks have been carried out in due order. Results: In 3 patients out of 10 patients who have not improved with great occipital nerve block, C2 ganglion block led to pain relief. A good response of C3 root block was achived in 2 of 7 patients without response to C2 ganglion block and C2/C3 facet joint block led to improvement in 1 of 5 patients without response to C3 root block. Conclusions: Nerve blocks like great occipital nerve block, C2 ganglion block, C3 root block, or C2/C3 facet joint block were effective in the patients who have not improved with conservative treatment.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.101-104
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• 1998

Backgrouds: Twent five years have passed since the opening of the first pain clinic in korea, in 1973 at Yonsei University Hospital. The number of pain clinics are gradually increasing in recent times. It is important to plan for future pain clinics with emphasis on improving the quality of pain management. Therefore we reviewed the patients in our hospital to help us in planning for the future of our pain clinic. Methods: We analyzed 2656 patients who had visited our Kim Chan Pain Clinic, accordance to age, sex, disease, and type of treatment block, from July 1996 to August 1997. Results: The prevalent age group was in the fifties, 27.3%, seventy years and older compromised 9.2%. The most common disease were as follows: lower back pain(46.2%); cervical and upper extremities pain(23.1%); trigeminal neuralgia(7.2%); and hyperhydrosis(5.8%) Both nerve blocks and medication were prescribed as treatment. Lumbar epidural block(16.3%) and stellate ganglion block(15.6%) were the most frequent blocks performed among various nerve blocks. Among nerve block under C-arm guidance, lumbar facet joint block(24.4%) and lumbar root block(22.5%) were performed most frequently. Trigeminal nerve block(18.4%), thoracic(17.0%) and lumbar sympathetic ganglion block(11.4%) were next most prevalent blocks performed frequent block. Conclusions: Treatments at our hospital were focused on nerve blocks and medications prescriptions. Nerve blocks are of particular importance in the diagnosis and treatment of chronic pain. However in future, to raise the quality of pain management, we need to fucus on a multidisciplinary/interdisciplinary team approach.