Der Schmerz
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The term "neuralgia of the occipital nerve" in clinical work includes different kinds of pain in the occipital region. Correctly, this diagnosis should be reserved for such pain syndromes which, corresponding to the definition of neuralgia, are due to damage of the cervical roots C1-C3 or of the major occipital nerve arising from those roots. We introduce an operative method to treat chronic therapy-resistant headaches in the area of the major and minor occipital nerve. The courses of three of the first patients operated in our hospital are described. ⋯ The epifacial stimulation of the occipital nerve is an effective method to treat neuralgia of this nerve. Patients with destruction of the nerve have to be excluded, because in their cases the stimulation does not work.