The effect of greater occipital nerve block on amplification of somatic symptoms and anxiety and depression levels in chronic migraine.

Objectives: It is known that chronic migraine (CM) is often accompanied by anxiety, depression, and psychosomatic complaints. We designed this study with the assumption that greater occipital nerve (GON) block treatment could potentially improve not only pain symptoms but also psychosomatic complaints. This study aimed to evaluate the changes in the visual analog scale (VAS), somatosensory amplification scale (SSAS), beck depression ınventory (BDI), and beck anxiety ınventory (BAI) with GON block treatment in patients with CM.

Methods: This study was conducted retrospectively on 164 patients with CM between December 2018 and January 2023. Patients underwent six sessions of GON block treatment at weeks 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7. VAS, SSAS, BAI, and BDI scores; number of attacks per month (NAM); attack pain duration (APD); and monthly use of analgesics (UA) were compared before the start and at week 8 of GON block treatment.

Results: The mean age of the subjects was 38 ± 9 years. Statistical analysis revealed that VAS, SSAS, BAI, and BDI scores; NAM; APD; and monthly UA were statistically significantly lower following GON block treatment than before GON block treatment (p < 0.001 each).

Conclusion: GON block treatment was effective for pain and somatic complaints (amplification of physical symptoms), anxiety, and depressive symptoms accompanying CM in patients with CM.