Control of pain in the head and neck.

The patient with head or neck pain should be managed primarily with medication that will adequately prevent, rather than relieve, pain. The terminal patient should receive medication to which he will not develop tolerance and that will permit him to function in his normal environment. Although nerve blocks are not a panacea for all pain syndromes, in carefully selected subjects, chemical interruption of nerve pathways can provide significant relief for chronic pain sufferers.