Is There a Link Between Occipital Nerve Pain & Acoustic Neuromas?

Occipital nerve pain (neuralgia) has a variety of causes, stemming from nerve damage or injury. It is possible that occipital neuralgia and other types of headaches could result after surgery for conditions such as acoustic neuroma.

Acoustic Neuroma

• Acoustic neroma is a slow-growing, benign tumor that forms on the nerve connecting the ear and the brain. The tumor presses against the nerve as it grows, causing symptoms such as balance problems, hearing loss and ringing in the ears.

Treatment for Acoustic Neuroma

• Surgical removal of the tumor may be required to preserve the facial nerve and prevent complications such as permanent hearing loss or facial paralysis. Stereotatic radiosurgery allows doctors to apply radiation therapy directly to the tumor without making an incision.

Occipital Neuralgia

• Occipital neuralgia is a headache that causes chronic piercing, throbbing pain, usually beginning in the neck and radiating out to the back of the head and behind the ear. It typically affects only one side of the head.

Causes of Occipital Neuralgia

• The pain of occipital neuralgia is due to nerve injury, which may be caused by lesions or tumors in the neck, head trauma or nerve compression. If the nerve is injured during surgery for acoustic neuroma or other conditions, occipital neuralgia could result.

Link Between Acoustic Neuroma and Neuralgia

• A medical study by Schankin, Gall and Straube found that 32 percent of acoustic neuroma patients complained of chronic headaches after surgery, and 16.6 percent of the patients experienced occipital neuralgia.