Occipital Neuralgia

Occipital neuralgia is a rare neurological condition that involves shooting, shocking, throbbing, burning, or aching pain and headache that generally starts at the base of the head and spreads along the scalp on one or both sides of the head. It involves the occipital nerves, which run from the area where the spinal column meets the neck, up to the scalp at the back of the head.  
 

Pain is typically felt in the:

• Upper neck

• Back of the head

• Behind the eyes and ears (usually on one side of the head)

• Scalp

• Forehead

​

The pain usually begins in the neck and then spreads upward. Some people describe the pain as migraine-like. The scalp may become tender and extremely sensitive to the point where a light touch can cause severe pain (allodynia). Causes of occipital neuralgia include injury, pinched nerve, overly tight neck muscles, nerve compression, disc disease, or infection and inflammation.

​

Diagnosis of occipital neuralgia is usually done through a physical and neurological exam, along with diagnostic imaging. A nerve block (in which a local anesthetic and steroid drug are injected into the area around the nerve) may help with diagnosis. Treatment options include medications, steroid injections, heat, and surgery.