Feasibility study of greater occipital nerve blocks by focused ultrasound - an animal study.

Objective: Greater occipital nerve (GON) block may provide substantial relief for headache in the occipital location. This study tested the feasibility of focused ultrasound (FUS) to induce the conduction block of GONs in rats.

Approach: For in vitro experiments, the nerve was dissected and cut from C2 to the site near the ear of the rats and preserved in Ringer's solution.