Occipital Neuralgia is basically a fancy way to say “occipital nerve pain.” Your occipital bone is the base of your skull behind your head – right above your spine. This can be attributed to nerves being pinched at the top of your spine from a variety of reasons such as tight muscles, tension, neck injury, whiplash, disc bulge, etc. When the nerves below the occipital bone get pinched, the pain can be sharp and referred around the back of the head – will sometimes be described as a headache.
Occipital neuralgia can be particularly painful just because of where it is located. Headaches can ensue as well as sharp pain. Injuries can cause it but also stress which can make the muscles very tight and pull the upper spine out of alignment and pinch nerves. Chiropractic is one of the best professions that treat this type of condition. Chiropractic adjustments to put the spine back in alignment is a great approach to treating this condition. Often a certain amount of muscle work is needed as well to loosen up the muscles which can be causing the pain. Cervical traction/decompression may also be an option for unresponsive cases.
If you think you may be suffering from occipital neuralgia then give us a call! Contact Village Family Clinic today!
