Re: Headache after C5-C6 nerve block
adonis123 - 07-10-10 10:12

I cud not understand yur question,but I think u r refering to Cervicogenic Headache.If that is the case then here r the details:

The most common cause of cervical radiculopathy is degenerative disease in the cervical spine . In 80 to 90% of patients with cervical radiculopathy, the C5/C6 or C6/C7 motion segments are affected by degenerative disease and the nearby C6 and/or C7 nerve roots are producing the symptoms . Patients with cervical radiculopathy complain of neck pain and radiating pain in the arm sometimes combined with sensory and motor disturbances in the arm and/or hand. These symptoms are accepted as being caused by the nerve root compression . Headache, if asked for, is frequently reported by patients with cervical radiculopathy but in general not discussed in terms of nerve root compression in the lower cervical spine. On the other hand, affection of nerve structures in the upper cervical spine, including the C2 and C3 nerve roots and the occipital major nerve, are accepted as a cause of occipital headache . The term cervicogenic headache , is often mentioned in the literature. It is not related to nerve root compression, but described as being caused by musculoskeletal structures in the upper cervical spine and the pathogenic mechanism is unclear.The criteria for cervicogenic headache are recurrent and strictly unilateral headache without side shift. It starts in the neck and spreads to the fronto-ocular area and is elicited by certain movements or awkward position of the head. Clinical investigation reveals reduced mobility of the neck and external pressure tenderness is present. Our own experience from many years of clinical research of patients with cervical radiculopathy is that headache often is present and that the headache sometimes is more disabling for the patient than the radicular pain in the shoulder/arm. We have also noticed that headache reduction might be achieved after conservative treatment of the neck pain or after surgery in patients with degenerative cervical radiculopathy . We use selective diagnostic nerve root blocks when investigating patients with degenerative cervical radiculopathy and our experience is that both headache and radicular pain in the arm might be significantly reduced when the symptomatic nerve root is blocked with local anaesthetics . This knowledge stimulated us to further investigate if nerve root compression in the lower cervical spine could cause headache.

Good Luck!