OCCIPITAL NEURALGIA

Course overview

OCCIPITAL NEURALGIA (ON) IS A PAINFUL CONDITION AFFECTING THE POSTERIOR HEAD IN THE DISTRIBUTIONS OF THE GREATER OCCIPITAL NERVE (GON), LESSER OCCIPITAL NERVE (LON), THIRD OCCIPITAL NERVE (TON), OR A COMBINATION OF THE THREE. IT IS PAROXYSMAL, LASTING FROM SECONDS TO MINUTES, AND CAN CAUSE LANCINATING PAIN. IT IS PARAMOUNT THAT INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM MEMBERS RECOGNIZE THE SPECIFIC DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA FOR THIS CONDITION AND THE DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS. THERE ARE MULTIPLE TREATMENT MODALITIES AVAILABLE, SEVERAL OF WHICH HAVE WELL-ESTABLISHED EFFICACY IN TREATING THIS CONDITION. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE EVALUATION, DIAGNOSIS, AND MANAGEMENT OF OCCIPITAL NEURALGIA AND STRESSES THE ROLE OF TEAM-BASED INTERPROFESSIONAL CARE FOR AFFECTED PATIENTS.