Hyderabad, January 28th 2026: Newer interventional therapies are offering meaningful relief to patients with chronic migraine who have not responded to conventional treatment, according to neurologists at Aster Prime Hospital, Ameerpet. Recent case experiences at the hospital highlight the role of procedures such as Greater Occipital Nerve (GON) blocks in improving outcomes for patients with refractory migraine. They announced the success stories on Wednesday at Hyderabad.

A 36-year-old homemaker from Khammam, who had been experiencing daily migraine-like headaches for nearly seven years, presented with persistent symptoms despite multiple medications. The condition had significantly affected her daily activities and quality of life. In November 2025, she underwent a Greater Occipital Nerve block at Aster Prime Hospital. Following the procedure, she reported a notable reduction in the number of headache days, enabling doctors to gradually reduce her medications.

In another instance, a 28-year-old breastfeeding woman sought medical attention for frequent migraine-like headaches. As several standard migraine medications are not advisable during breastfeeding, treatment options were limited. She was offered a GON block, following which she experienced approximately a 70 per cent reduction in headache severity within two months, with improvement in daily functioning.

“These cases illustrate the expanding role of interventional therapies in migraine care, particularly for patients who do not respond adequately to oral medications or where drug use is restricted,” said Dr. Vivek Potluri, Consultant Neurologist at Aster Prime Hospital.

Migraine is one of the most common neurological disorders globally, affecting nearly 18 per cent of women and 6 per cent of men, while chronic migraine affects about 2 per cent of the population. Often trivialised as a routine headache, migraine is a complex neurological condition associated with severe pain, nausea, visual disturbances, and heightened sensitivity to light and sound.

“Migraine ranks as the second leading cause of disability worldwide and the leading cause among young women,” Dr. Potluri said.

While migraine management begins with lifestyle measures such as regular sleep, hydration, stress management, and avoidance of triggers, many patients continue to experience disabling attacks. A study published in the journal Headache reported that 84.5 per cent of patients eligible for preventive therapy were not receiving it, pointing to a significant treatment gap.

Recent advances, including GON blocks and botulinum toxin injections, have broadened treatment options for patients with difficult-to-treat migraine. Dr. Potluri noted that these are simple outpatient procedures that can significantly reduce headache frequency and medication dependence in appropriately selected patients.