Greater occipital nerve blockade for the preventive treatment of chronic migraine: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study

BackgroundGreater occipital nerve blockade for the prevention of chronic migraine has a limited evidence base. A robust randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial is needed. MethodsThis double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial, following a baseline period of four weeks, randomly assigned patients of chronic migraine 1:1 to receive four-weekly bilateral greater occipital nerve blockade with either 2 ml of 2% (40 mg) lidocaine (active group) or 2 ml of 0.9% saline (placebo) injections for 12 weeks. The primary and key secondary efficacy endpoints were a change from the baseline in the mean number of headache and migraine days and the achievement of >= 50% reduction in headache days from baseline across the weeks 9-12 respectively. Safety evaluations included the documentation and reporting of serious and other adverse events. ResultsTwenty-two patients each were randomly allocated to the active and placebo group. Baseline demography and clinical characteristics were similar between the two groups. Mean headache and migraine days at baseline (+/- SD) were 23.4 +/- 4.4 and 15.6 +/- 5.7 days in the active group and 22.6 +/- 5.0 and 14.6 +/- 4.6 days in the placebo group respectively. The active group compared to the placebo had a significantly greater least-squares mean reduction in the number of headache and migraine days (-4.2 days [95% CI: -7.5 to -0.8; p = 0.018] and -4.7 days [95%CI: -7.7 to -1.7; p = 0.003] respectively). 40.9% of patients in the active group achieved >= 50% reduction in headache days as compared with 9.1% of patients receiving a placebo (p = 0.024). Overall, 64 mild and transient adverse events were reported by 16 patients in the active group and 15 in the placebo. No death or serious adverse events were reported. ConclusionFour-weekly greater occipital nerve blockade with 2% lidocaine for 12 weeks was superior to placebo in decreasing the average number of headache and migraine days in patients with chronic migraine with a good tolerability profile.Clinical trial.gov no. CTRI 2020/07/026709