Occipital neuralgia is pain resulting from trauma to the lesser and/or greater occipital nerves, located in the back of the head. This pain can be felt in the upper back, neck and behind the ears and is usually sharp and shock-like in nature....
An occipital stroke occurs when the occipital lobes of the brain are damaged due to a lack of oxygenated blood. A stroke is often caused by problems with blood flow in the brain, such as a blocked artery or an artery that has burst. Damage to the...
Headaches are a common ailment that vary in pain intensity and location. Although most headaches prove a temporary nuisance, some are more concerning and disruptive. Occipital headache pain, located over the back of the head, can arise from a...
A stroke occurs when oxygen is restricted to a portion of the brain for enough time to cause damage. This may be due to a blood clot or blockage in one of the brain's blood vessels, or a burst blood vessel in the brain. When damage occurs in the...
The occipital muscles are a group of muscles that are named because of their attachment to the base of the skull, the occipital bone. The larger, superficial muscles function to bend the neck backward, while the smaller, deeper muscles stabilize...
Occipital neuralgia is a condition that causes chronic headaches and pain in the back part of your head and neck due to irritation of the occipital nerve. The pain usually takes a cyclical course of pain-spasm-pain, traveling from the base of your...
Occipital neuralgia is a type of headache in which people experience piercing, throbbing or chronic pain in the upper neck, the back of the head and behind the ears. This pain usually begins in the neck before radiating upward and is usually...
The treadmill is a common exercise apparatus used primarily for running or walking. Performing any exercise with poor form increases your risk for injury. Poor posture, slumping and holding your head in a downward position while using a treadmill...
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...
Side effects of taking high doses of vitamin B supplements may include headaches and nerve damage. Occipital neuralgia is a type of headache caused by irritation or injury to nerves in your head and neck. It is possible, then, that taking excess...
Occipital neuralgia is a type of headache that includes distinct, sharp pains in your head. There are many treatment options, including physical therapy, that can be used to alleviate your discomfort. Physical therapy comes in several forms, all...
Herbs and other natural treatments have been used for centuries to treat headaches. Both Chinese herbs and acupuncture help relieve occipital headaches along with a wide range of related symptoms and diseases. Both modalities are encompassed under...
Everyone has two occipital nerves that originate in the cervical spine and enter the scalp. When inflamed or compressed, these nerves can generate pains to the back of the head, which can radiate into and around the eyes. Occasionally, the...
Headaches in the back of the head may be caused by a variety of ailments and injuries. Chronic headaches in the back of the head--also known as occipital headaches--are often variants of tension headaches or migraines. New-onset occipital...
Sight is a complex function of the brain that extends from the front to the back of the head. To produce sight, the eyes capture information and send it through the optic nerve to be processed by the occipital lobe. The brain also incorporates...
Exercise can cause pain in the base of the head, which may also be accompanied by nausea and other migraine-like symptoms and pain in other areas of the head. Knowing what type of exercise relates to which headache and the headaches' other...
Numerous arteries nourish the hair follicles and dermis layer of the scalp. The University of Michigan Medical School notes that the dense connective tissue of the scalp holds these arteries firmly in place; this causes the arteries to remain open...
Just like the cardiovascular system, the lymphatic system stems throughout the entire body. Composed of organs, ducts, vessels and nodes, the main function of the system is to transport lymph fluid from body tissues into the bloodstream. Lymph...
Epilepsy is a neurological disease stemming from a deregulation of brain signaling. Nerve cells within the brain, called neurons, commonly communicate with each other through cell junctions called synapses. One nerve cell sends a chemical signal...
The cerebrum houses the four major brain regions responsible for higher functioning. According to the Center for Neuro Skills, these four regions include the frontal lobes, parietal lobe, occipital lobe and the temporal lobe. The cerebrum is also...
Tension headaches are the most common type of headache by a wide margin. Only a few types of headaches typically produce pain in the back of the head, called the occipital area, and base of the neck, termed the upper cervical spine. The junction...
Humans experience two types of pain. Nociceptive pain is the normal response to bodily injury, such as a bruise, sprain or burn. In contrast, neuropathic pain arises when damage occurs to the nerves that transmit pain signals. The sensations...
The brain consists of three functional regions, which developed at differing times over the course of human evolution. The newest and most complex area of the brain is the forebrain, which consists of the cerebrum and its underlying support...
The human brain is an exquisitely complex and highly organized organ. The forebrain, midbrain and hindbrain comprise the three functional regions of the brain. Within each region, individual lobes and structures exist, which control specific...
In "The Cognitive Neurosciences III", there are over 1000 pages devoted to explaining the relationship between mind and brain. At the most general level, human cognitive processing occurs in the cortex, the outer layer of the brain composed of...
The human brain contains five major divisions--the cerebral cortex, cerebellum, thalamus, midbrain and brain stem--each with a specific region and function. These regions are interconnected to allow information to travel from one region to...
The human brain is a complex organ and is responsible for relaying information to the other parts of the body. For example, the brain is involved in memory, thinking, voluntary and involuntary movements. Multiple components make up the human...
The human brain is the computer for the body. It is responsible for every function and movement, from breathing to scratching an itch on the nose. The brain can be labeled based on anatomy or function. In dealing with the anatomy of the brain,...
Brain tumors can affect the optic nerve itself and the cranial nerves that control eye movement. Tumors in different parts of the brain affect different nerves and often affect several nerves at once. According to "Adams and Victor's Principles of...
Use small working stones to massage the tense muscles of the neck. Practice hot stone massage therapy with this free massage video.
Relieve stress in the head and face by learning how to massage the scalp with shiatsu massage in this free video clip.
Relieve stress in the head and face by learning how to massage with shiatsu massage sailor strokes in this free video clip.
Learn twists with arm extensions for partner yoga in this free how-to video on partner yoga sequences and positions.
