The Clinical Effects of C2 and C3 Medial Branch Block for Medically Intractable Headache : a Retrospective Study.

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the clinical effects of medial branch blocks (MBB) C2 and C3 in treating patients with medically intractable headaches. The medical records of 81 patients with medically intractable headaches who underwent a C2/3 MBB between January 2019 and March 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. The degrees of pain were evaluated using a visual analogue scale (VAS) score (rating 0-10) on baseline and after procedures. To evaluate patients' satisfaction for the treatment, self-reporting measurements were examined and were categorized as excellent (>90% pain relief), good (50%-90% pain relief), fair (10%-50% pain relief), and none (<10% pain relief). The total number of MBB procedure was 107. The average baseline VAS score was 7.4 ±1.5, which improved significantly to 2.6 ±2.3, 3.6 ±2.6, and 4.5 ±3.2 on 1-3 days, 3-7 days, and 3 months after the procedure, respectively (Wilks' lambda within group test, P <0.001). For the subjective feeling of pain relief, percentages of "excellent" response in the self-reporting measurements were significantly decreased over time (chi-square test; P= 0.001). This study demonstrates clinical effectiveness of C2/3 MBB in patients with medically intractable headaches, with both early and prolonged benefits.