Occipital Neuralgia - Can it be why you have neck pain and headaches?

Occipital Neuralgia is an uncommon condition but it can cause a lot of pain in your neck and give you pretty intense headaches. It is caused when the nerves in the back of your head, that come up from your spinal cord, are inflamed or injured. The condition can show signs and symptoms similar to a migraine so it is important to make sure the correct one is diagnosed as treatment is not always the same for the two conditions.   

The pain typically starts at the base of your skull (occiput) and travels upward. Occipital neuralgia can lead to pain on either/both sides of the head, pain behind the eye, tender scalp, pain with moving your neck, numbness, and/or pain behind the ears. Migraines have these symptoms as well but they are usually accompanied by sensitivity to light and nausea. Typically, occipital neuralgia will not have those symptoms.

The pain can be fast and sharp and only last a few seconds to minutes. It can also last as long as a migraine (hours/days). Occipital neuralgia can be caused by traumatic blow to the back of the head, neck tension/tight muscles, osteoarthritis, tumors in the neck, cervical disc disease, infection, gout, diabetes, and/or blood vessel inflammation.

Treatment for occipital neuralgia caused by neck pain/stiffness/sore muscles should include hot/cold therapy. Heat to loosen up muscles, ice to decrease inflammation if that is found to be the cause of the headaches. You should also see a chiropractor since they specialize in neck pain and headaches. When your neck is properly aligned, it can help to relieve the tension in the neck and promote healing. If it is caused by something else like infection or gout, you need to see your primary care physician.