Radiofrequency Ablation of Pericranial Nerves for Treating Headache Conditions: A Promising Option for Patients

Background: Chronic daily headache, including chronic migraine, can be challenging to treat. Medications often only provide limited improvement, and surgical interventions can be associated with significant adverse effects. We present our experience with using radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for pericranial nerves to treat chronic headache conditions. Methods: This retrospective analysis included patients who received RFA for pericranial nerves to treat chronic daily headache conditions from January 1, 2015 to June 1, 2016. Outcomes were pain scores as measured on the visual analog scale (with 0 representing no pain and 10 representing the worst pain imaginable) and the patient-reported percent improvement in headache conditions, including pain scores, severity, duration, frequency, and associated symptoms. Results: Of the 57 patients who received 72 RFAs for pericranial nerves to treat headache or pericranial neuralgia, 90.3% of patients had improvement in their headache condition after receiving RFA. In addition, pain scores decreased from 6.6 +/- 1.7 preprocedure to 1.9 +/- 1.9 postprocedure (P<0.001). Conclusion: Our study demonstrates the efficacy and safety of RFA in treating pericranial neuralgias associated with chronic daily headache.