Consider a Sphenopalatine Ganglion Nerve Block for Chronic Head or Facial Pain

An occasional headache might not be enough to impact your quality of life, but chronic or recurrent face and head pain might need a little more than a day off work to manage. When head and facial pain becomes an ongoing problem in your life, it’s time to consider more intensive pain management options. 

Our pain management experts Haddis T. Hagos, MD, and Brent Earls, MD, specialize in treating chronic pain using the most advanced therapies at Pain Management Associates LLC in Greenbelt, Maryland. If you have yet to find relief for pain in your face or head, they might recommend a sphenopalatine ganglion nerve block. 

Understanding the sphenopalatine ganglion 

The sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) is a group of nerves that supply your face and head. These nerves are located in the back of your nasal passages. Beyond being sensory nerves, they’re involved in tear production and nasal congestion. 

The sphenopalatine ganglion is connected to the trigeminal nerve, which is the source of many major headache disorders and facial pain. 

How a sphenopalatine ganglion nerve block treats face and head pain

A sphenopalatine ganglion nerve block is an injection of local anesthesia, often lidocaine, to the sphenopalatine ganglion, usually to control chronic facial pain or headaches. Many headache disorders that can benefit from a sphenopalatine ganglion nerve block include:

• Chronic migraine
• Cluster headaches
• Trigeminal neuralgia
• Trigeminal neuropathy

Once applied, our local anesthesia blocks pain signals traveling through the sphenopalatine ganglion. The results of the procedure vary, but many people experience days, weeks, or even months of relief from chronic head or facial pain. 

There are several strategies for injecting a sphenopalatine ganglion nerve block: Our team may deliver it through your nose or cheek. Some methods require X-ray imaging for safe needle placement. 

We can provide repeated SPG nerve blocks if you’re happy with the results of treatment. However, be sure to let our team know if your pain worsens after treatment or if side effects like throat numbness last longer than a few hours. 

Are you a candidate for sphenopalatine ganglion nerve block? 

Our team at Pain Management Associates LLC evaluates your head or face pain in depth before recommending a sphenopalatine ganglion nerve block. We consider how long the pain lasts as well as its physical and psychological impact. They typically recommend less invasive treatments first. 

You might be a candidate for a sphenopalatine ganglion nerve block if you haven’t found lasting relief from other treatments for your chronic head or facial pain. 

To learn more about how a sphenopalatine ganglion nerve block treats chronic head and facial pain, call us at Pain Management Associates LLC or request an appointment online.