Occipital neuralgia is a rare type of chronic headache disorder. It occurs when pain stems from the occipital region and spreads through the occipital nerves. The occipital nerves run from the top of the spinal cord to the scalp. Occipital neuralgia is most often associated with intense, sharp, piercing or electric-shock like pains. However, like Migraine, the pain can also be throbbing in nature. The most intense part of an occipital neuralgia episode is brief, only lasting seconds to minutes.
The primary symptom of occipital neuralgia is a sudden, severe pain that many people associate with migraines. Occipital neuralgia episodes typically begin in the neck and spread upwards towards the occipital region. Pain can move forward to the scalp, forehead and behind the eyes. This pain is described as:
Occipital neuralgia can affect anyone. It is estimated that occipital neuralgia affects about three out of every 100,000 people every year.
One may be more likely to suffer from occipital neuralgia if there is pre-existing:
The most common cause of occipital neuralgia is pinched nerves or muscle tightness. You may also develop occipital neuralgia after a head or neck injury. Other conditions that can lead to occipital neuralgia include: