Occipital neuralgia causes sharp, electric pain at the base of the skull that shoots up into the scalp. It often gets mistaken for migraine or tension headache.
The occipital nerves run from the upper neck up through the scalp. When they are irritated or compressed, they fire off pain signals that feel like a jolt at the base of the skull, often spreading over the top of the head or behind the ear.
Common causes include whiplash, tight neck muscles, past head or neck injuries, and arthritis in the upper cervical spine. Targeted treatment aimed at the occipital nerves themselves is usually much more effective than headache medications.
The pain pattern is the biggest clue. Occipital neuralgia feels very different from a typical headache.
We start with diagnostic nerve blocks and move to longer-lasting options if pain keeps coming back.
A targeted injection at the base of the skull that numbs the occipital nerves. Both a diagnostic step and a therapy, since relief after a block confirms the nerves are the pain source.
Controlled heat to the occipital nerves provides months of relief for patients who respond well to nerve blocks but whose pain keeps returning.
Targeted injections into tight muscles at the base of the skull and upper neck. Useful when muscle tension is pulling pain into the nerves.
When the upper cervical facet joints are part of the problem, blocking their nerve supply can reduce both neck pain and occipital pain.
Call us if the pain changes character suddenly, if you develop neurological symptoms like vision changes or weakness, or if pain follows a recent injury. These can signal a different problem that needs same-day attention.
No. Occipital neuralgia is a nerve pain condition with a specific pattern: sharp, shooting pain from the base of the skull. Migraines are a neurological condition with throbbing pain, nausea, and light or sound sensitivity. Some people have both.
Most patients get two to twelve weeks of relief from a nerve block. For patients whose pain keeps returning, radiofrequency ablation can extend relief to six months or longer.
Sometimes. If your exam fits occipital neuralgia cleanly, we can start with a diagnostic block. If there are any red flags or the pattern is unusual, we will get an MRI of the neck first.