Treatment of Refractory Post-Stroke Headache in the Acute Rehabilitation Setting

Post-stroke headaches are a common problem in acute rehabilitation settings where there is often a restriction on available treatment methods such as IV medications. Conservative management with oral medications is often inadequate and the pain can affect the patient’s ability to participate in therapy.

A case series  including 3 patients who had inadequate pain control on oral medications including NSAIDs, steroids, magnesium, triptans, and butalbital who were inquiring about further pain control options. Intervention utilizing bilateral supraorbital, greater occipital, and lesser occipital nerve blocks have shown promise in restoring functional capacity to participate in therapy.