Occipital Neuralgia

Are you used to getting recurring headaches? Does the pain feel like it’s coming from the back or sides of your head? Sometimes this is not a simple headache or even the product of migraines, but something called occipital neuralgia. Patients have described it as a zapping or tingling pain that happens periodically with no clear explanation. In some cases it can also feel like numbness or a shooting pain behind the eye.

At New York Pain Medicine Associates, we specialize in pain management and treatment. With ample experience treating and diagnosing all kinds of pain related conditions, including different types of neuralgia. We have the tools to help you have a better understanding of your health, no matter how rare the condition. Our healthcare providers are highly qualified and experienced with administering cutting edge and non-invasive treatments.

Symptoms and Causes for Occipital Neuralgia

Nerve pain can be the result of a wide range of conditions, so a correct diagnosis is a key step to putting together the right treatment plan for your pain. One of the most frequent causes of nerve pain is nerve compression. Many patients who report pain have nerve compression, which can stem from spinal conditions like herniated discs or spinal stenosis. There is some evidence that prolonged high blood sugar levels can also damage nerves, evidenced in instances of diabetic neuropathy. However, regardless of the root cause, you don’t deserve to live with the pain, and our team uses advanced diagnostic tools to identify the cause of your pain and immediately start your recovery path.

Every patient’s case is different and requires a personalized treatment plan, but there are some known diseases related to nerve pain, also known as neuropathies:

Symptoms

The main symptom of occipital neuralgia are bouts of pain that can feel like zapping or tingling headaches. The sensation can be located at the base of the neck or as a wrapping feeling around the sides of the scalp. The degree of pain is different from patient to patient, but it certainly can become a severe hindrance when it is at its most extreme, where it can be so bad that even washing the hair, or lying down on a pillow can be too painful. Some people with occipital neuralgia also report feeling a stabbing pain coming from behind the eye, or a sensation of numbness instead of pain.

Diagnostic Process

Diagnosing occipital neuralgia can be challenging, since a lot of patients confuse it for migraines or recurring headaches. It’s also rare to have pure occipital neuralgia with no other correlated symptoms or conditions, so it can be a confusing experience for some. There is no official way of diagnosing occipital neuralgia itself, but there are ways to determine if it is a likely diagnosis. Physical examinations can be performed to confirm if there are specific movements that compress the occipital nerves. Some imaging with CT scans or an MRI can help see what’s going on anatomically. A temporary nerve block can also point towards the diagnosis.

Learn more: Occipital Nerve Block

Risk Factors

Even when occipital neuralgia is a difficult to pin down condition, there are some things that can be seen as risk factors. This means that they are things that can make you more prone to developing or having occipital neuralgia. The main ones are:

Past neck trauma
Cervical Scoliosis
Cervical Rib
https://www.nejm.org/doi/abs/10.1056/NEJM196212062672302Arthritis

It has also been found that women experience occipital neuralgia at higher rates than men.

Where to Get Treatment for Occipital Neuralgia in New York

If you are looking for treatment for occipital neuralgia in New York, our practice NY Pain Medicine Associates offers cutting edge solutions delivered by award winning Dr. Demesmin who specializes in pain management treatments and minimally invasive procedures.

The starting point for many is physical therapy, but when that doesn’t work, we can provide non-invasive options for temporary or long-term pain relief, like occipital nerve blocks, or a stimulation device.

Don’t hesitate to contact us and begin your journey towards a better and pain-less life.