Quick Answer
A targeted nerve block may have a role where facial or head pain localises to a specific nerve on examination. Current in-office availability should be confirmed with the practice directly. No interventional pain programme is operated, so procedures beyond targeted blocks are referred.
Part ofThis guide sits beneath trigeminal neuralgia, which covers the study itself, how it is performed and what the report should contain.
Trigeminal Neuralgia and Facial Pain →Key Takeaways
- Brief electric pain, strictly one-sided, triggered by light touch rather than pressure.
- Trigger sensitivity is the distinguishing feature, because light touch causing severe pain is not how dental pain behaves.
- Dental treatment on a healthy tooth before diagnosis is a well-recognised pathway worth preventing.
- Medical treatment is first-line and frequently effective, and is what the practice provides.
- Surgical options are referred, and in-office block availability should be confirmed directly.
Trigeminal neuralgia
Trigeminal neuralgia is a disorder of the trigeminal nerve that produces sudden, brief, electric-shock-like facial pain, usually on one side and often triggered by light touch, chewing or a breeze.
Electric pain triggered by light touch
Trigeminal neuralgia produces brief, severe, electric or stabbing pain in the face, and its defining feature is what sets it off.
The pattern that identifies it
Pain lasting seconds to a couple of minutes, strictly on one side, in the cheek, jaw or around the eye. Triggered by light touch rather than pressure: washing the face, shaving, a breeze, brushing teeth, chewing, or speaking. That trigger sensitivity is the distinguishing feature, because a light touch producing severe pain is not how musculoskeletal or dental pain behaves. Between attacks there is frequently no pain at all.
Why it is mistaken for dental pain
The pain sits in the territory of the teeth and jaw, so patients present to a dentist first. Dental treatment including extraction is sometimes performed on a healthy tooth before the diagnosis is made, which is a genuine harm and a well-recognised pathway. If facial pain is electric, seconds-long and triggered by light touch, that pattern points to a nerve rather than a tooth, and saying so early can prevent an irreversible procedure.
What distinguishes it from other facial pain
Cluster headache produces severe one-sided pain around the eye but lasting fifteen minutes to hours with tearing and nasal congestion, not seconds. Dental pain is typically a sustained ache worsened by pressure and temperature. Temporomandibular joint problems produce pain with clicking and restricted opening. And sinus disease produces sustained pressure rather than electric shocks.
Where treatment sits
Medical treatment with specific anticonvulsant classes is first-line and frequently effective, and it is what the practice provides. Where medication fails or is not tolerated, surgical options exist including microvascular decompression and various ablative procedures, and those are performed at surgical centres. The practice performs no surgery, so those are referred.
| Also considered | How it is distinguished |
|---|---|
| Dental pain | Constant aching localised to a tooth; dental assessment usually precedes referral. |
| Cluster headache | Pain around the eye lasting 15 minutes to about 3 hours with tearing and nasal congestion. |
| Persistent idiopathic facial pain | Continuous aching rather than brief shocks. |
| Secondary trigeminal neuralgia | Sensory loss or bilateral symptoms prompt imaging to look for an underlying cause. |
What the practice provides, and what it does not
01
What brings people in
Sudden shock-like facial pain, or facial pain that dental assessment has not explained.
02
What the evaluation settles
Whether the pattern fits trigeminal neuralgia, which division is involved, and whether features suggest a secondary cause needing imaging.
03
What you leave with
A diagnosis where the pattern supports one, a medication plan, and referral for procedural options when appropriate.
Diagnosis and medical management
The diagnosis is clinical, established from the pattern rather than from any test. Imaging is used to look for a structural cause where indicated and is coordinated externally, since the practice operates no imaging suite. Medical management including monitoring is provided at both offices.
Nerve blocks, and an important caveat
Where facial or head pain localises to a specific nerve on examination, a targeted nerve block can have a role. Whether a given block is currently performed in-office should be confirmed with the practice directly rather than assumed from this page, because the in-office procedure set changes and this page does not assert availability. What is certain is that the practice runs no interventional pain programme, so procedures beyond targeted blocks are referred.
What is referred
All surgical options, including microvascular decompression and ablative procedures. Interventional pain procedures. Dental and jaw-joint assessment where the pattern points there instead. Adults 18 and older.
What to bring
What triggers it, which is the most diagnostically useful thing you can report. How long an individual attack lasts, in seconds or minutes. Whether there is pain between attacks. Any dental treatment already undertaken for it. And your full medication list.
The first 30, 60 and 90 days
Step 1
First visit
History and neurological examination, a review of records and prior imaging, and a decision on which studies are actually indicated. You leave with the plan, not just a referral.
Step 2
Within 30 days
Indicated in-office studies are performed and interpreted by the neurologist who ordered them, in our AANEM-accredited laboratories. Results are explained in plain language.
Step 3
60 to 90 days
Follow-up to judge whether the plan is working, adjust it, and coordinate with your referring clinician. Where a diagnosis needs time to confirm, this is where it is revisited.
Attending from Henderson
The Henderson office is at 1691 W. Horizon Ridge Parkway, Suite 100, just off the 215 Beltway, with parking on site. All six in-office studies are performed and interpreted there, so nothing is sent across to Las Vegas. Green Valley, Anthem, Whitney and Boulder City are generally closer to it than to Flamingo Road. Adults 18 and older.
Not sure what is causing it?
Ask for the study to be graded rather than only named. Severity is what informs the decision.
The Bottom Line
Confirm in-office availability directly. What is certain is that no interventional pain programme is operated.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does trigeminal neuralgia feel like?
Brief, severe, electric or stabbing pain on one side of the face, lasting seconds to a couple of minutes, with frequently no pain at all between attacks. Between attacks the face frequently feels entirely normal, which is part of why the condition is doubted, or attributed to something dental, before it is diagnosed correctly.
What triggers it?
Light touch rather than pressure: washing the face, shaving, a breeze, brushing teeth, chewing or speaking. That trigger sensitivity is the distinguishing feature, because light touch producing severe pain is not how dental or musculoskeletal pain behaves. Patients often begin avoiding one side of the face when washing or eating, and that avoidance is itself worth reporting.
Could my dentist have missed this?
It is a well-recognised pathway. The pain sits in the territory of the teeth and jaw, and dental treatment including extraction is sometimes performed on a healthy tooth before the diagnosis is made. Electric, seconds-long pain triggered by light touch points to a nerve rather than a tooth. Bringing dental records helps establish the timeline.
How is it diagnosed?
Clinically, from the pattern rather than from any test. Imaging is used to look for a structural cause where indicated and is coordinated externally, since the practice operates no imaging suite. Where imaging is indicated we order it, receive the report and interpret it alongside the examination rather than sending you on.
Is surgery performed at the practice?
No. Microvascular decompression and ablative procedures are performed at surgical centres and are referred. The practice provides medical management, which is first-line and frequently effective. Medication is titrated over weeks rather than started at full dose, so a trial needs time before it is judged. Referral follows where medical management is genuinely insufficient.
Are nerve blocks available in-office?
Whether a given block is currently performed in-office should be confirmed with the practice directly rather than assumed, because the in-office procedure set changes. The practice runs no interventional pain programme, so procedures beyond targeted blocks are referred. Asking before you attend avoids a wasted trip, and the front desk can confirm it in a call.
When does it need earlier assessment?
When facial numbness accompanies the pain, or when pain has become constant rather than episodic. Both raise the possibility of a structural cause. Sudden facial weakness with other neurological symptoms is an emergency. Pain that has spread to both sides of the face also warrants earlier review rather than a routine appointment.
Where exactly is the Henderson office?
1691 W. Horizon Ridge Parkway, Suite 100, Henderson NV 89012, just off the 215 Beltway, with parking on site. All six in-office studies are performed and interpreted there, so nothing is referred across to the Las Vegas office. Green Valley, Anthem, Whitney and Boulder City are generally closer to it than to West Flamingo Road.
Should I use the Henderson or the Las Vegas office?
Whichever is the shorter drive, since both are fully equipped and hold the same records. West Horizon Ridge Parkway generally suits Green Valley, Anthem and Boulder City; West Flamingo Road suits the west and southwest of the valley. If you can attend either, say so when booking, because availability differs between the two week to week.
How quickly does medication work?
It is titrated upward over weeks rather than started at full dose, so a trial needs time before it is judged. That is worth knowing, because stopping early is the commonest reason a workable treatment gets discarded. Side effects that warrant contacting the practice are explained when it is started.
How this page was sourced
Practice facts come from Clinical Neurology Specialists directly: that electrodiagnostic testing is performed and interpreted at both offices in independently accredited laboratories, that two neurologists focus on neuromuscular medicine, and that surgery, imaging, infusion therapy and physical therapy are all coordinated or referred rather than provided on site. Clinical context is sourced to the organisations listed below.
No reference values, severity thresholds or named medications appear, because electrodiagnostic values vary by nerve, age, height and temperature and treatment selection is a clinical decision. No outcome is promised. Scope is adults 18 and older.
Change log
- 2026-07-28 — page published; clinical content reviewed.
- 2026-07-28 — last reviewed against AAN, AANEM and NINDS guidance; internal links and schema verified.
- Review cadence: quarterly, or sooner if guidance changes.
How to cite this page
Clinical Neurology Specialists. “Occipital nerve block Henderson.” Reviewed 2026-07-28. https://www.cnsnevada.com/conditions/trigeminal-neuralgia/occipital-nerve-block-henderson/
References
- Muscular Dystrophy Association — patient information across neuromuscular disorders.
- American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine — electrodiagnostic standards and laboratory accreditation.
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke — the reference catalogue of nervous-system disorders.
This page is for general information about a Clinical Neurology Specialists office and is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment recommendation. It does not create a physician-patient relationship. Adults 18 and older. For an active stroke, a first-time or prolonged seizure, sudden severe headache, sudden weakness, sudden vision loss, or a head injury with loss of consciousness, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.