|  | Conditions Treatments | Neurological Disorders

Occipital Neuralgia Infection

According to Pain Management Rounds, there are close to 20 million doctor visits per year in the United States related to headaches and 95 percent of the population suffers from a headache at one time or another. Occipital Neuralgia is one headache syndrome that originates in the occipital nerve. Treatments vary from home care to treating it with medicines and surgical interventions.

  1. What is Occipital Neuralgia?

    • Occipital neuralgia is a headache involving the occipital nerve which is located in the neck between the second and third vertebrae. The pain can be described as a pain that begins in the neck or base of the head and spreads upward through the sides or top of the head.

    What Causes Occipital Neuralgia?

    • There are both primary and secondary causes of occipital neuralgia. A primary cause means that there is no disease or anatomical disorder that is causing the condition. Occipital neuralgia may appear spontaneously or it may be caused from looking down or holding your head down for any period of time.

      Secondary causes means there is an underlying disease or disorder that is causing the occipital neuralgia. These may include trauma to the neck, infection, hemorrhage, osteoarthritis in the cervical region of neck, gout, diabetes or other systemic disease.

    Symptoms of Occipital Neuralgia

    • Sometimes pain associated with occipital neuralgia can be described as aching, burning or throbbing. Some people describe it as a shocking or stabbing pain. Movements of the neck may trigger the headache, and in some people, the scalp is even sensitive to touch. You may also experience dizziness and photo-phobia.

    Diagnois and Testing

    • Occipital neuralgia is difficult to diagnose because it sometimes mimics the symptoms of other types of headaches such as migraines and cluster headaches. Some people are even misdiagnosed as having fibromyalgia, which is a generalized pain syndrome. In order to distinguish it from other types of headaches, your doctor will perform a full neurological exam, and will ask you many questions relating to the type of pain that you are experiencing.

      Testing for the condition may include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and computed tomography scan (CT scan) to look for secondary causes of the headache. The condition can be confirmed with the use of nerve blocks. When anesthetics and steroids are injected into the occipital nerve, diagnosis can be made if you experience pain relief.

    Home Care and Medications

    • If you are experiencing occipital neuralgia you should try to rest and use heat for the pain. Physical therapy and massage can also be beneficial.

      Medications such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen may be helpful. Other medications such as muscle relaxers, opioids, and anti-convulsants may help. According to Pain Management Rounds, typical medications include: gabapentin (300 to 3600 mg per day), carbamazepine (400 to 1200 mg per day), phenytoin (300 to 600 mg per day), valproic acid (500 to 2000 mg per day) and baclofen (40 to 120 mg per day).

    Treatment Surgery

    • There are currently two surgical treatments that are widely used: micro-vascular decompression and occipital nerve stimulation. In micro-vascular decompression, the surgery is aimed at stopping pain by decompressing the occipital nerve. With occipital nerve stimulation, electrical impulses are directed near the occipital nerves in order to block pain receptors going to the brain.

Neurological Disorders - Related Articles