Occipital Neuralgia – Migraine-like Pain without the Migraine
A sharp and sometimes electric nerve pain coming from the back of the head that can radiate over the top of the skull or into the eyes.
The pain from occipital neuralgia can be severe, and is often misdiagnosed as a #migraine.
While occipital neuralgia is common after a head injury like #concussion, it can come out of nowhere from tight neck muscles or inflammation to a nerve called the greater occipital nerve.
These types of headaches can be resistant to most medications, but can be alleviated by addressing mechanical factors in the neck, especially in the #atlas of the upper cervical spine.
While there is no definitive test to diagnose occipital neuralgia, we can often find a tender point in the back of the head/neck that can reproduce the pain. That along with a detailed health history can help us identify the source of the head pain so it can be treated properly.