Occipital Neuralgia

What is it?

Occipital neuralgia is caused by injured or inflamed occipital nerves that run in the back of the scalp. Typically it presents with a headache that causes piercing pain in the back of the neck or head.

Causes

Nerve pain occurs when a nerve is physically injured, irritated, inflamed, or damaged due to a disease. Many health conditions can lead to nerve pain, including:

Osteoarthritis of the upper cervical spine
Trauma, especially a motor vehicle accident
Cervical disc degeneration
This condition is a distinct type of headache caused by irritation or injury of the occipital nerves. These nerves travel from the base of the skull through the scalp. This condition can result in severe pain and muscle spasms.

Symptoms

Intense, sharp, jabbing pain in the back of the head or neck. Other symptoms you may experience include:

Electric-shock like pain
Aching or burning pain
Pain that travels on both sides of your head from the base of the skull forward, above the ears
Sensitivity to light
Scalp tenderness
Pain with neck movement

Diagnosis

The CPMP | Comprehensive Pain Management Partners team of orthopedic and spine pain management specialists can diagnose occipital neuralgia during a comprehensive history and physical examination. In addition, we may also request diagnostic tests such as an MRI, X-ray, or CT.

Treatment

Oral medications
Occipital Epidural Injection
Botox injections
Surgery