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

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical effects of medial branch blocks (MBBs) C2 and C3 in treating patients with medically intractable headaches.

Methods: 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).

Results: 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).

Conclusion: This study demonstrates clinical effectiveness of C2/3 MBB in patients with medically intractable headaches, with both early and prolonged benefits.