Greater Occipital Nerve Injections

Greater occipital nerve (GON) injections also known as a GON block injections can be an effective treatment for people with disabling headaches.

Overview

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Why you might need?

Greater occipital nerve (GON) injections contain a small dose of local anaesthetic and steroids. They are injected around the greater occipital nerve which runs on each side of the back of the head. They can either be injected on one or both sides and can be effective in 60 - 70% of cases. The aim of the treatment is to reduce the frequency and severity of headaches.

Treatment Info

The injection involves using a small needle. You may feel some discomfort when the needle is inserted but it is generally well-tolerated. The injections contain some local anaesthetic and so you may feel numbness at the injection site.

What can I expect to happen after the injection?

The benefit may start within an hour, but may take up to two weeks to take effect. These injections can be repeated after 2-3 months if they are effective but the benefit wears off.

Treatment Aftercare

GON injections are generally well tolerated. It is advisable to wait 15 minutes after the injection before going home to make sure you feel well.

Treatment Recovery

There may be some temporary worsening of pain for 1-2 weeks after the injections. There is a very small chance of bleeding and infection but this is very rare. Some people report some dizziness at the time of the injection but this usually resolves shortly afterwards. There is a <1% risk of localised hair loss in a small area around the injection site.

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Available consultations

Introduction

Treatment

Typically 10-15 minutes, home same day

Aftercare

Recovery

It is advisable to wait 15 minutes after the inj...

Health Insurance

This service or treatment is generally covered by most health insurance policies. You are responsible for checking your insurance policy cover, and you may need a referral letter. Check which insurance companies are covered.

Doctor Referral Only

You will generally need to get a referral letter from your NHS GP, Private GP, or other doctor to access this service or treatment. Find out more including how we can assist you

Self-Pay Available

This treatment is available for self-paying users. If you would like to see more information on pricing visit our pricing and payments page.

Consultation Required

For this treatment you will need to have a 1-to-1 consultation at OneWelbeck first. To book in with our team of expert clinicians or to find out more about the process contact the relevant centre team.

Next Day Availability

We usually have next day availability for this service, please call us to check availability.

Essential Infomation