Comparison of the efficacy of lidocaine and bupivacaine in GON blockade for prophylaxis of chronic migraine.

BACKGROUND

Numerous studies have evaluated greater occipital nerve (GON) blockade for migraine prophylaxis using various techniques and anesthetic agents, yet a standardized protocol remains lacking. Although both lidocaine and bupivacaine are effective compared with placebo, no direct comparison exists. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of lidocaine and bupivacaine in GON blockade for chronic migraine.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Data from 79 chronic migraine patients who underwent ultrasound-guided GON blockade at the University of Health Sciences Ankara Training and Research Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Patients received either 1.5 mL of 2% lidocaine + 1 mL saline or 1.5 mL of 0.5% bupivacaine + 1 mL saline. Multivariate path analysis was used to evaluate the factors affecting pain reduction and to adjust for baseline differences. Blocks were administered weekly during the first month and monthly for two subsequent months on the side corresponding to pain. The number of headache days, attack duration, and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores were recorded before and after each session.

RESULTS

Both groups showed significant reductions in headache days, attack duration, and VAS scores after treatment. Baseline values were similar except for disease duration, which was significantly longer in the bupivacaine group (p = 0.028). At the first month, the bupivacaine group reported significantly more headache days than the lidocaine group (P = 0.046), but no further intergroup differences were found. Although the lidocaine group showed lower pain scores in the first month in univariate analysis, multivariate path analysis revealed that the treatment group (Lidocaine vs. Bupivacaine) did not have a statistically significant effect on the change in VAS scores (p > 0.05). The baseline VAS score was the only significant predictor of pain reduction (β = -0.70, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Lidocaine and bupivacaine were both effective for migraine prophylaxis via GON blockade. While lidocaine appeared to provide faster relief initially, regression analysis suggests that baseline pain severity, rather than the choice of agent or disease duration, is the primary determinant of treatment response.