Headache from the back
The head ache, or occipital neuralgia, is defined as a pain headache in the neck and back of the head, in the occipital nerve area, a sensory nerve. This condition is sometimes known as occipital neuritis ), Indicating that there are inflammatory effects of this condition, as they may occur as a result of exposure to injury.
Head pain from the back sometimes results from other conditions, including tension headaches and migraines. The pain caused by this condition may be severe, like stinging or electric shock, or it may be burning or beating in the back of the head and neck.
Some people confuse these headaches with other types of headaches. The symptoms may be similar, but the treatment of these conditions is different, so it is necessary to get a precise diagnosis before treatment. This is not a life-threatening condition, but although there are many treatments to remove pain, it does not always work to remove the pain. The patient must go to the doctor to find another cause of the headache.
Headache symptoms in the back of the head
The symptoms of headaches vary in the back of the head from one person to another. Pain may be on one side in some, while on the other, but often includes the following:
- Pain is similar to stinging or burning, which usually starts at the base of the head and rises to the scalp.
- Pain when touching the scalp.
- Pain in one hand or both sides of the head.
- Pain behind the eye.
- Pain when moving the neck.
- Sensitivity to light.
How to Diagnose Headache in Head Background
Diagnosis of this headache begins through the doctor’s clinical examination of the patient and taking his or her history, which should contain whether the injured has been injured or not. During the examination, the doctor usually presses around the head of the patient to see whether this pressure is causing pain or not . In addition, the injured doctor may give the needle a needle, if it is effective and gave a result, then the pain may already be caused by the occipital nerve, as the doctor may ask for other tests in addition, including:
- Blood tests.
- Radiography of the neck (X-ray).
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
- CT scanning.
These tests are requested by the doctor in particular if he believes that there is an underlying disease leading to this condition; there is no specific examination to confirm the pain of the occipital nerve. It is noted that to get the right treatment you must first get the correct diagnosis.
Causes of headache in the background of the head
Often, the doctor does not find the cause of occipital nerve pain, but it is usually caused by irritation or pressure of the occipital nerves, which leads to exposure to inflammation or exposure to muscle tension that restricts the nerves, as well as exposure to injury in the back of the head. Conditions associated with pain in the occipital nerves include:
- Inflammation of blood vessels.
- Osteoarthritis.
- Gout.
- Disc neck.
- Neck tumors.
- Tension or tension of the neck muscles.
- Diabetes.
Headache treatment in the back of the head
The first step that needs to be done is to relieve the pain, so it is through:
- Use of anti-inflammatory drugs, including ibuprofen and naproxen.
- Place hot compresses on the neck.
- Massage the painful and tight neck muscles.
- Relax in a quiet place.
In addition to the above, the doctor may prescribe the following drugs if the previous methods are not successful, including:
- Medications for muscle relaxants.
- Antidepressants.
- Anticonvulsants.
The doctor may prescribe a treatment method known as the inventory of nerves, a treatment is given to the injection of local anesthetic and steroids, and the patient needs to take some injections to appear effective, but the effectiveness lasts for several weeks or months, especially when combining this method of treatment and natural therapy And conservative measures, and some of the injured may be limited to a single cycle of treatment with the restriction of nerve or physical therapy to shed their pain completely, but if the pain did not respond to all this there are several other methods of minimally invasive treatments that have shown their effectiveness against the pain mentioned, including:
- Rhizotomy.
- Neurolysis.
- Implantation of an occipital nerve stimulator, a device similar to the regulator that alerts the nerve to electrolyte; the feeling of pain changes with a feeling of tingling.
- Inject the nerve with a small dose of toxic substance.
- Burn the nerve with a radio wave probe.
Any medical procedure leading to nerve death is likely to lead to scalp numbness to some degree.
Prevention of headaches in the head
Prevention of headaches in the back of the head is difficult because the cause is not always known, but finding out the reasons for the tension and avoid neck muscles are important to prevent the situation.