Treatment of occipital neuralgia using onabotulinum toxin A

Objectives To determine the effectiveness of botulinum toxin in a sample of patients diagnosed with greater occipital nerve neuralgia. Material and Methods Twenty-nine patients (28 females, 1 male) were treated for greater occipital nerve neuralgia with onabotulinum toxin type A; the Visual Analog Pain Scale was used to determine pain severity at treatment and again 12 weeks after application. Results Average doses of onabotulinum toxin type A of 18.66 +/- 6.44 U per nerve and 35.96 +/- 12.89 U per patient were utilized. Average pain severity among the sample was 9.81 +/- 0.89 prior to botulinum toxin application and 3.68 +/- 2.31 points (p<0.0001) twelve weeks after application. Pain frequency decreased from 29.93 +/- 0.37 to 12.17 +/- 11.05 days with pain per month (p<0.0001). Six patients reported absence of pain after application (p=0.023). Dose did not correlate with the degree of clinical response observed, and no side effects were reported. Conclusion Our findings suggest onabotulinum toxin type A is a safe and effective treatment alternative for patients suffering from refractory greater occipital nerve neuralgia.

Automated summary

The study found that onabotulinum toxin type A is a safe and effective treatment for patients with refractory greater occipital nerve neuralgia, significantly reducing pain severity and frequency without any noticeable side effects.