Clinical Efficacy Evaluation of Ultrasound-Guided C2 Dorsal Root Nerve Pulsed Radiofrequency Combined with Stellate Ganglion Block in the Treatment of Cervicogenic Headache: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Abstract

Purpose

To explore the therapeutic effect of C2 dorsal root ganglion pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) combined with stellate ganglion block (SGB) in patients with cervicogenic headache (CEH).

Patients and Methods

We retrospectively reviewed 90 patients diagnosed with CEH who were admitted to our hospital between May 2019 and May 2022. All patients were divided into three groups (n = 30 each) according to the actual treatment method used: ultrasound-guided SGB, ultrasound-guided C2 dorsal root ganglion PRF treatment, and ultrasound-guided C2 dorsal root ganglion PRF combined with SGB treatment. Patients’ pain intensity, sleep, and mood changes were assessed by statistically analyzing their pain visual analog scale (VAS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Inventory (PSQI), and short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire affective item scores before and after treatment.

Results

The post-treatment VAS, PSQI, and McGill scores were significantly decreased in all patients (P < 0.05), and all three scores in ultrasound-guided C2 dorsal root ganglion PRF combined with SGB were lower than those in ultrasound-guided SGB alone and ultrasound-guided C2 dorsal root ganglion PRF alone (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

The use of ultrasound-guided C2 dorsal root ganglion PRF combined with SGB in patients with CHE is effective in alleviating pain and improving sleep, and deserves to be replicated in the clinic.

Keywords:

• cervicogenic headache
• C2 dorsal root ganglion
• pulsed radiofrequency
• stellate ganglion block

Ethics Approval and Informed Consent

The study was clinically ethically registered in the University Medical Research Archive Registry and approved by the Clinical Trials Ethics Committee of the Affiliated Hospital of Southwestern Medical University (Grant No. KY2023011). Because this study is retrospective, the Clinical Trials Ethics Committee specifically waived the requirement for informed consent. All methods in the study were carried out in accordance with the Helsinki guidelines and declaration.

Acknowledgment

We thank the patients who enrolled in this study.

Disclosure

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by a grant from the Natural Science Foundation of Sichuan Province (No. 2022NSFSC1479), the joint foundation of the Luzhou government and Southwest Medical University (No. 2021LZXNYD-J29), strategic cooperation project between Hejiang County People’s Government and Southwest Medical University (No. 2020-HJXNYD-4).