Cervicogenic headache: Interventional, anesthetic, and ablative treatment

Antonaci F, Torbjorn FA, Sjaastad O: Cervicogenic headache: Clinical presentation, diagnostic criteria and differential diagnosis. Curr Pain Headache Rep 2001, 5:387–392.This paper establishes diagnostic anesthetic blockade as a major criterium in the diagnosis of cervicogenic headache.

Sjaastad O, Fredriksen TA: Cervicogenic headache: criteria classification and epidemiology. Clinical Experimental Rheumatology 2000, 18(suppl 19):S3-S6.

Biondi DM: Cervicogenic headache: diagnostic evaluation and treatment strategies. Curr Pain Headache Rep 2001, 5:361–362.

Bogduk N: Cervicogenic headache: anatomic basis and pathophysiologic mechanisms. Curr Pain Headache Rep 2001, 5:382–386.This article is an excellent review of the anatomy of the C1-C3 spinal nerves. The convergence of the upper three cervical nerves with the trigeminal afferents provides the basic neuroanatomic and pathophysiologic mechanism of cervicogenic headache.

Barnsley L, Lord SM, Wallis B, Bogduk N: False positive rates of cervical zygapophyseal joint blocks. Clin J Pain 1993, 9:124–130.

Lord SM, Barnsley L, Wallis BJ, Bogduk N: Chronic cervical zygapophyseal joint pain after whiplash: placebo-controlled prevalence study. Spine 1996, 21:1737–1745.

Hogan QH, Abram SE: Neuroblockade for diagnosis and prognosis: a review. Anesthesiology 1997, 86:216–241.

Bogduk N: The anatomical basis for cervicogenic headache. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1992, 15:67–70.

Fredriksen TA, Sjaastad O: Cervicogenic headache: current concepts of pathogenesis related to anatomical structure. Clin Exp Rheumatol 2000, 18(suppl 19):S16-S18.This paper implicates the lower cervical nerve roots as important pain generators in cervicogenic headache.

Alix NE, Bates DK: A proposed etiology of cervicogenic headache: the neurophysiologic basis and anatomic relationship between the dura matter and the rectus posterior capitis minor muscle. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1999, 22:534–539.

Sjaastad O, Fredriksen T, Pfafenrath V: Cervicogenic headache: diagnostic criteria. The Cervicogenic International Study Group. Headache 1998, 38:442–445.

van Suijlekom JA, Weber WEJ, van Kleef M: Cervicogenic headache: techniques of diagnostic nerve blocks. Clin Exp Rheumatol 2000, 18(suppl 19):S39-S44.A detailed review of the major diagnostic nerve blocks for cervicogenic headache is provided while acknowledging potential problems that limit their usefulness.

Tyler JK: Percutaneous radiofrequency neurotomy for chronic lumbar and cervical facet joint pain. ISIS Scientific Newsletter 2001, 4:39–52.A good review article of radiofrequency facet neurotomy and the difficulty in performing prospective, randomized, controlled trials of this technique. A summary of recent clinical studies is provided.

Lord SM, Barnsley L, Wallis B, McDonald G, Bogduk N: Percutaneous radiofrequency neurotomy for chronic cervical zygapophyseal joint pain. N Engl J Med 1996, 335:1721–1726.

Weiner RL, Reed KL: Peripheral neurostimulation for control of intractable occipital neuralgia. Neuromodulation 1999, 2:217–221.A new treatment for intractable occipital neuralgia using peripheral nerve stimulation is reported.

Bogduk N, Marsland A: On the concept of third occipital headache. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1986, 49:775–780.

Anthony M: Cervicogenic headache: prevalence and response to local steroid therapy. Clin Exp Rheumatol 2000, 18(suppl 19):S59-S64.

Anthony M: Headache and the greater occipital nerve. Clinical Neurol Neurosurg 1992, 94:297–301.

Capute CA, Firetto V: Therapeutic blockade of greater occipital and supraorbital nerves in migraine patients. Headache 1997, 37:174–179.

Kuhn WF, Kuhn SC, Gilberstadt H: Occipital neuralgias: clinical recognition of a complicated headache: a case series and literature review. J Orofacial Pain 1997, 11(suppl 2):158–165.

Murphy JP: Occipital neurectomy in the treatment of headache results in 30 cases. Maryland State Medical Journal 1969, 18(6):62–66.

Magnusson T, Ragnarsson T, Bjornsson A: Occipital nerve release in patients with whiplash trauma and occipital neuralgia. Headache 1996, 36(1):32–36.

Bovin G, Fredriksen TA, Stolt-Nielsen A, Sjaastad O: Neurolysis of the greater occipital nerve in cervicogenic headache: a follow-up study. Headache 1992, 32:175–179.

Austad ED: Discussion: Relevance of the lesser occipital nerve in facial rejuvenation surgery. Plast Reconstr Surg 2000, 105:2600–2603.A unique surgical approach in treating intractable occipital neuralgia using cryoneurolysis is described.

Blume H, Kakolewski J, Richardson R, Rojas C: Radiofrequency denaturation and occipital pain: results in 450 cases. A Neurophysiol 1982, 45:543–548.

Lozano AM, Vanderlinden G, Bachoo R, Rothbart P: Microsurgical C-2 ganglionectomy for chronic intractable occipital pain. J Neurosurgery 1998, 89:359–365.

Dubuisson D: Treatment of occipital neuralgia by partial posterior rhizotomy at C1-C3. J Neurosurgery 1995, 82:581–586.

Stojanovic MP: Stimulation methods for neuropathic pain control. Curr Pain Headache Rep 2001, 5(2):130–137.

Lou L: Uncommon areas of electrical stimulation for pain relief. Curr Rev Pain 2000, 4(5):407–412.

Saberski LR. Cryoneurolysis in clinical practice. In Interventional Pain Management. Edited by Waldman SD,Winnie AP. Philadelphia: WB Saunders; 1996:172–184.

Blume HG: Cervicogenic headaches: radiofrequency neurotomy and the cervical disc and fusion. Clin Exp Rheumatol 2000, 18(suppl 19):S53-S58.

Barnsley L, Lord S, Bogduk N: Comparative local anesthetic blocks in the diagnosis of cervical zygapophyseal joint pain. Pain 1993, 55:99–106.

Dwyer A, Aprill C, Bogduk N: Cervical zygapophyseal joint pain patterns 1: a study in normal volunteers. Spine 1990, 15:453–457.

Bogduk N, Marsland A: The cervical zygapophyseal joints as a source of neck pain. Spine 1988, 13:610–617.

Barnsley L, Lord SM, Wallis BJ, Bogduk N: Lack of effect of intra-articular corticosteroids for chronic pain in the cervical zygapophyseal joints. N Engl J Med 1994, 330(15):1047–1050.

Klein MT: Radiofrequency techniques in clinical practice. In Interventional Pain Management. Edited by Waldman SD,Winnie AP. Philadelphia: WB Saunders; 1996:185–217.

Lord SM, Barnsley L, Bogduk N: Percutaneous radiofrequency neurotomy in the treatment of cervical zygapophyseal joint pain: a caution. Neurosurgery 1995, 36:732–739.

McDonald GJ, Lord SM, Bogduk N: Long-term follow-up of patients treated with cervical radiofrequency neurotomy for chronic neck pain. Neurosurgery 1999, 45:61–67.

April C. Diagnostic disk injection. In The Adult Spine: Principles and Practice. Edited by Frye Moyer JW. New York: Raven Press;1991:403–440.

Grubb SA, Kelly CK: Cervical discography: clinical implications from 12 years of experience. Spine 2000, 25:1382–1389.The characteristic pain patterns for symptomatic cervical disks are reported.

Sluijter ME: Percutaneous intradiscal radiofrequency thermocoagulation. Spine 1996, 21:528–529.

Bovin G, Berg R, Dale LG: Cervicogenic headache: anesthetic blockades of cervical nerves (C2-C5) and face joint (C2/C3). Pain 1992, 49:315–320.

van Kleef N: Radiofrequency Lesions of the Dorsal Root Ganglion in the Treatment of Spinal Pain. Maastricht: University of Maastricht; 1996.

Poletti CE: C2 and C3 pain dermatomes in man. Cephalalgia 1991, 11:155–159.

van Kleef M, Liem L, Lousberg R, et al.: Radiofrequency lesion adjacent to the dorsal root ganglion for cervicobrachial pain: a prospective double-blind randomized study. Neurosurgery 1996, 38:1127–1131.

Sluijter ME, Cosman ER, Rittman WB, van Kleef M: The effect of pulsed radiofrequency fields applied to the dorsal root ganglion: a preliminary report. Pain Clinic 1998, 11:109–117.A new radiofrequency technique in the treatment of spinal nerve root pain with potential implications for cervicogenic headache treatment is reported.

Munglani R: The longer term effect of pulsed radiofrequency for neuropathic pain. Pain 1999, 80:437–439.

Dreyfuss P, Michaelsen M, Fletcher D: Atlanto-occipital and lateral atlanto-axial joint pain patterns. Spine 1994, 19:1125–1131.

Aprill C, Azinn M, Bogduk N: Occipital headaches stemming from the lateral atlanto-axial (C1-C2) joint. North American Spine Society Proceedings 18th Annual Meeting 2000. New Orleans; 2000:18-19.

Racz GB, Sanel H, Diede JH: Atlanto-occipital and atlantoaxial injections in the treatment of headache and neck pain.In Interventional Pain Management. Edited by Waltman SD,Winnie AP. Philadelphia: WB Saunders; 1996:219–222.

Dreyfuss P, Rogers J, Dreyer S, Fletcher D: Atlanto-occipital joint pain. A report of 3 cases and description of an intraarticular joint block technique. Reg Anesth 1994, 19:344–351.

Gordin V, Stowe C: Diagnostic and therapeutic injections for the nonoperative treatment of axial neck pain and cervical radiculopathy. Curr Opin Orthop 2001, 12:238–244.

Ferrante FM, Wilson SP, Iacobo C, et al.: Clinical classification as a predictor of therapeutic outcome after cervical epidural steroid injection. Spine 1993, 18:730–736.

Klein GR, Vacarro AR, Owik J, et al.: Efficacy of cervical epidural steroids in the treatment of cervical spine disorders. Am J Anesthesiol 2000, 9:547–550.

Cronen MC, Waldman SD: Cervical steroid epidural nerve blocks in the palliation of pain secondary to tension-type headaches. J Pain Symptom Manage 1990, 5:379–381.

Waldman SD: Cervical epidural nerve block. In Interventional Pain Management. Edited by Waldman SD and Winnie AP.Philadelphia: WB Saunders; 1996:275–282.

Reale C, Turkiwicz AM, Reale CA, et al.: Epidural steroids as a pharmacologic approach. Clin Exp Rheumatol 2000, 18(suppl 19):S65-S66.