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Atlanto-Axial and Atlanto-Occipital Joints Injection in the Treatment of Headaches and Neck Pain

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Comprehensive Treatment of Chronic Pain by Medical, Interventional, and Integrative Approaches

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Abstract

Cervicogenic headache is referred pain from cervical structures innervated by the upper three cervical spinal nerves. The lateral atlanto-axial joint, which is innervated by the C2 ventral ramus, is a fairly common cause of cervicogenic headache. It may account for 16 % of patients with occipital headache.1 In human volunteers, distending the lateral atlanto-axial joint with contrast agent produces occipital pain, and injection of local anaesthetic into the joint relieves the headache.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pain Management, Summa Western Reserve Hospital, 1900 23rd Street, Cuyahoga Falls, OH, 44223, USA

    Samer N. Narouze M.D., Ph.D.

  2. Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Athens, OH, USA

    Samer N. Narouze M.D., Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Samer N. Narouze M.D., Ph.D.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Samer N. Narouze M.D., Ph.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. The Center for Pain Relief, Inc., West Virginia University, 400 Court Street, Suite 100, Charleston, 25301, West Virginia, USA

    Timothy R. Deer

  2. Stanford Pain Management Center, Redwood City, CA, Clinic Chief, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, 94065, California, USA

    Michael S. Leong

  3. Department of Anesthesiology, Rush Medical College, Professor, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, 60612, Illinois, USA

    Asokumar Buvanendran

  4. Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, 17033-0850, Pennsylvania, USA

    Vitaly Gordin

  5. Center for Interventional Pain and Spine, Newark, DE USA, Medical Director, Bryn Mawr Hospital, Bryn Mawr, 19010, Pennsylvania, USA

    Philip S. Kim

  6. President, National Institute of Pain, Tampa, 33558, Florida, USA

    Sunil J. Panchal

  7. The LITE Center, Clinical Associate Professor, Medical Director, School of Medicine, Miami, 33143, Florida, USA

    Albert L. Ray

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© 2013 American Academy of Pain Medicine

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Narouze, S.N. (2013). Atlanto-Axial and Atlanto-Occipital Joints Injection in the Treatment of Headaches and Neck Pain. In: Deer, T., et al. Comprehensive Treatment of Chronic Pain by Medical, Interventional, and Integrative Approaches. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-1560-2_27

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-1560-2_27

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-1559-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-1560-2

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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