Headaches are a common problem experienced by many Americans. In fact, according to 2010 information from the American College of Physicians, 45 million Americans suffer from chronic headaches. The occipital nerve, which is a nerve that runs under the skin in the back of the head, may cause a headache that occurs in the back of the head, and also results in pain, tingling, and numbness in the back of the head. A patient experiencing these symptoms should visit his doctor to have his headache assessed to determine if the occipital nerve is causing the pain.
Trauma
According to the National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, occipital nerve pains may be caused by trauma. Trauma can be the result of a direct blow to the back of the head, or from neck trauma that may injure the nerve where it exits the neck. In this case, it is important for a patient to seek emergency medical treatment to make sure no other structures in the head are damaged from trauma. If the occipital nerve is the cause of pain, and all other structures are normal, an anesthetic nerve block will typically provide relief.
Pinched Nerves
The occipital nerve exits from the side of the neck, passes underneath muscle tissue in the neck and runs along the back part of the head. A pinched nerve may occur as the nerve exits the neck or as it passes underneath muscle tissue, which may become tight, states the National Institutes of Neurological Disorder and Stroke. This type of occipital nerve pain is typically related to tension headaches. Occupational therapy or home exercises can generally relieve this sort of pain. If therapy does not improve occipital nerve pain, the patient should schedule an appointment with his doctor to seek additional medical treatment.
Infection
Infection may cause occipital nerve pain, states the National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. An infection along the back of the head or the back of the neck can cause localized inflammation, which can aggravate the surrounding nerves, including the occipital nerve. An inflammation may occur from an open wound in the back of the neck, or may spread from an open wound in other parts of the head. In this case, the infection must first be treated with antibiotics before more specific treatments can be directed towards the occipital nerve. Once the infection is controlled, an anesthetic nerve block will likely provide relief.
