Korean J Pain.  2005 Jun;18(1):64-68. 10.3344/kjp.2005.18.1.64.

Improvement of Migraine by Cervical Epidural Block: A case report

• Kim KS
• Lee WY
• Woo SH
• Hong KH

• KMID: 2277962
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3344/kjp.2005.18.1.64

Abstract

Migraine is a disabling headache that can occur with or without aura. We present here a case of migraine that was effectively managed by a series of cervical epidural blocks. A 41-year-old woman who had suffered from severe headache on her left temporal area for 12 years visited our pain clinic. Her 11-point numeric pain rating scale was 10 out of 10 at the first visit and the symptoms were associated with homonymous visual disturbances, paresthesia on the left face, shoulder and arm, and general weakness. For the first 5 years after the headaches began, her headache was relatively well controlled by acetaminophen; after then, the acetaminophen wasn't effective. After wandering from this hospital to the next one in search of relief, she managed to visit our pain clinic. We tried several blocks including cervical epidural block, and she was continuously medicated with sumatriptan. Her headache was gradually relieved. Now, her 11-point numeric rating scale is 1-2 out of 10 at the most during her headache attacks.

Keyword

cervical epidural block; migraine; trigeminocervical nucleus

MeSH Terms

Acetaminophen
Adult
Arm
Epilepsy
Female
Headache
Humans
Migraine Disorders*
Pain Clinics
Paresthesia
Shoulder
Sumatriptan
Acetaminophen
Sumatriptan