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I Suffer From Occipital Neuralgia

Occipital Neuralgia Treatment

Occipital Neuralgia is a painful condition caused by irritation or compression of the occipital nerves, leading to sharp, throbbing, or electric-shock-like pain in the upper neck, back of the head, and behind the ears. For some, occipital neuralgia pain can extend to the forehead, behind the eyes, or into the scalp. This condition often affects one side of the head, though in some cases, it may occur on both.

At Sydney Headache and Migraine Clinic™, our experienced clinicians regularly treat occipital neuralgia and use targeted techniques to assess whether dysfunction in the cervical spine or a sensitised brainstem is contributing to your symptoms. Our focus is on addressing the root cause of occipital neuralgia pain rather than simply masking symptoms.

Once treatment begins, we expect to see significant improvement in 90% of our patients within the first five consultations. Our approach is non-invasive, medication-free, and designed to relieve pain and restore quality of life. Book an appointment today to learn more about our evidence-based occipital neuralgia treatment options.

 

Understanding your Headache

Occipital Neuralgia Symptoms

Occipital Neuralgia affects areas innervated by the greater and lesser occipital nerves, which transmit pain messages and sensory information from the back of the head, upper neck, and behind the ears to the brain. These occipital nerves play a crucial role in how we feel pain in the head and neck.

Many people with occipital neuralgia experience intense pain and hypersensitivity in these regions. Even light contact, such as brushing hair or touching the back of the head or neck, can trigger sharp pain or electric-shock-like sensations. These episodes may last from a few seconds to several minutes and often feel severe and disabling.

Symptoms of Occipital Neuralgia May Include:

A sharp, stabbing pain

Electric shock sensations

Severe pain in the upper neck, back of the head, and behind the ears

It is common for occipital neuralgia to be misdiagnosed as other headache disorders, including chronic migraine headaches, due to overlapping symptoms. However, one of the key differences is the duration of pain episodes. Understanding these occipital neuralgia symptoms is vital for receiving an accurate diagnosis and exploring appropriate occipital neuralgia treatment options aimed at relieving pain and improving quality of life.

Vertigo Headaches

Understanding Your Headache

What is the cause of Occipital Neuralgia?

Occipital Neuralgia can develop from a range of causes due to the complexity and sensitivity of the occipital nerves. These nerves play a crucial role in transmitting pain messages from the head and neck to the brain. One common cause is irritation or compression of the greater occipital nerve, lesser occipital nerve, or third occipital nerve, leading to the misfiring of pain signals.

This painful condition may result from nerve damage caused by head or neck trauma, spinal surgery, or chronic muscle tightness in the upper neck. In some cases, inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis or connective tissue disorders can compress the occipital nerves, causing severe pain. Demyelinating diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis can also damage the protective myelin sheath around certain nerve cells, contributing to occipital neuralgia symptoms.

Understanding the underlying causes of occipital neuralgia is essential for developing an effective occipital neuralgia treatment plan aimed at relieving pain and restoring function.

About The Assessment Stage

What To Expect During The Assessment


1. Comprehensive and in-depth examination

We instigate an in-depth assessment to identify all possible related factors that could be causing your headaches or migraines. The upper cervical spine, in particular, is thoroughly examined to identify possible issues.



2. Ligamental stability and vertebral arterial tests

We undertake careful examination of neck ligaments and vertebral arteries, ensuring only the highest standards of patient safety and comfort.


3. Temporarily reproduce your headache and migraine symptoms

As a part of the treatment process, we apply gentle and selective stress to the upper cervical spine in order to reproduce headache symptoms, which subside after 20-30 seconds. This helps to identify and treat the cause of your headaches.

All you need to know about Occipital Neuralgia

Anatomy of the Occipital Nerve

The occipital nerves are a group of three nerves that arise from between the second and third cervical vertebrae (C2/C3) and work together to transmit sensory information from the head and neck. The greater occipital nerve innervates the semispinalis capitis muscle and the scalp, playing a key role in head and neck sensation.

The lesser occipital nerve supplies sensation to the scalp and the area behind the ears. Meanwhile, the third occipital nerve (sometimes called the least occipital nerve) provides sensation to the semispinalis capitis muscle (a small region just below the base of the skull) and the C2/C3 zygapophyseal joints. These nerves are critical pathways for transmitting pain messages involved in occipital neuralgia.

Vascular causes of occipital nerve irritation

Vascular causes of occipital neuralgia can result from structural changes or abnormalities affecting the blood vessels near the cervical spine and occipital nerves. These include:

  • Irritation of the C1/C2 nerve roots by an aberrant branch of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery, leading to occipital nerve irritation and occipital neuralgia symptoms
  • Dural arteriovenous fistula at the cervical level causing abnormal blood flow that may compress the occipital nerves
  • Bleeding from bulbocervical cavernomas, resulting in pressure on the occipital nerves and surrounding structures
  • Cervical intramedullary cavernous hemangioma contributing to nerve compression and occipital neuralgia pain
  • Giant cell arteritis causing inflammation that can decrease blood flow and irritate the occipital nerves
  • Fenestrated vertebral artery pressing on the C1/C2 nerve roots, disrupting pain messages from the cervical spine

Aberrant course of the vertebral artery increasing the risk of occipital nerve irritation and contributing to severe pain symptoms

Neurogenic causes of occipital nerve irritation

  • Schwannoma affecting the occipital nerves at the craniocervical junction – a benign tumour that grows from the nerve sheath (the protective covering of certain nerve cells), potentially compressing the occipital nerves and causing occipital neuralgia symptoms, including sharp pain and nerve irritation
  • C2 myelitis – inflammation of the cervical spinal cord that can disrupt pain messages and lead to occipital neuralgia pain and severe headaches
  • Multiple sclerosis – a neurological disorder that damages the protective myelin sheath around nerve cells, increasing the risk of occipital nerve irritation and contributing to chronic occipital neuralgia symptoms

Osteogenic causes of occipital nerve irritation

  • C1/C2 arthrosis and atlantodental sclerosis – degenerative changes in the cervical spine that may compress the occipital nerves, acting like a pinched nerve, and contribute to occipital neuralgia pain and neck pain
  • Hypermobile C1 posterior arch – excessive movement at the top of the cervical spine placing stress on the occipital nerves, potentially causing neck pain and symptoms of occipital neuralgia
  • Cervical osteochondroma – a benign bone tumour that can irritate or compress the greater occipital nerve, leading to sharp pain and nerve damage
  • Osteolytic lesion of the cranium – bone loss in the skull that may expose or damage nearby occipital nerves, increasing the risk of nerve irritation
  • Exuberant callus formation after C1/C2 fracture – excessive bone healing that places pressure on the occipital nerves, triggering occipital neuralgia symptoms such as aching pain and sharp pain in the upper neck and back of the head

How is Occipital Neuralgia Diagnosed?

Diagnosing occipital neuralgia begins with a detailed assessment of your symptoms, medical history, and a physical examination of the head, neck, and upper cervical spine. Our clinicians at Sydney Headache and Migraine Clinic™ carefully assess for tenderness along the greater and lesser occipital nerves, reproduction of occipital neuralgia pain through palpation, and hypersensitivity in the affected areas.

Occipital neuralgia is often misdiagnosed as other headache disorders, including chronic migraine headaches, due to overlapping symptoms like neck pain and head pain. Accurate diagnosis is crucial to ensure the most effective occipital neuralgia treatment and pain relief.

In some cases, diagnostic nerve blocks may be recommended. These temporarily block pain messages from the occipital nerves, helping to confirm the diagnosis. Imaging such as MRI or CT scans may also be used to rule out structural causes like nerve compression or a pinched nerve contributing to occipital neuralgia symptoms.

Common Treatment Options for Occipital Neuraglia

There are several treatment options available for occipital neuralgia, ranging from conservative methods to more invasive interventions. Over-the-counter pain relief medications, muscle relaxers, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are often used to manage symptoms. In some cases, occipital neuralgia medications such as anticonvulsants or antispasmodics may be prescribed to help relieve pain.

Other options include occipital nerve blocks, steroid injections, or botox injections aimed at reducing inflammation and blocking pain messages from the occipital nerves. More invasive treatments like occipital nerve stimulation or spinal cord stimulation may also be considered, using electrical impulses to disrupt pain signals. While these treatments can sometimes reduce occipital neuralgia pain, they often focus on symptom management rather than addressing the underlying cause.

I’ve tried everything already. What can you do to treat Occipital Neuralgia?

Our Approach to Occipital Neuralgia Treatment

At Sydney Headache and Migraine Clinic™, we take a different approach. Rather than masking symptoms with medication or invasive procedures, our experienced clinicians focus on identifying the root cause of your occipital neuralgia symptoms.

We perform a comprehensive assessment of the cervical spine, neck muscles, and brainstem to determine whether dysfunction or a sensitised brainstem is contributing to your occipital neuralgia pain. By targeting the source of nerve irritation – often overlooked in other headache disorders – our goal is to relieve pain, restore function, and reduce the likelihood of ongoing nerve irritation.

Our treatment is non-invasive, medication-free, and designed to improve quality of life. In fact, we expect significant improvement in 90% of our patients within just five treatment consultations.

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