Pain in the occipital part of the head causes a lot of inconvenience and often limits performance. The reasons for this phenomenon can be very different - from a long stay in an uncomfortable position to serious neurological pathologies. It’s quite difficult to figure out yourself why the head hurts in the back of the head. Most likely, you will have to seek medical help.
Types of pain in the occipital region
The following types of pain are possible in the occipital part of the head:
- Strain - the most common daily and chronic, associated with muscle contraction.
- Migraines - the exact causes have not been identified, are often hereditary, lasting from several hours to three days.
- Mixed - a combination of migraine and tensional pain.
- Cluster - the most severe, burning and stitching. They are rare.
- Sinus - occur with inflammation of the sinuses.
- Acute - appear suddenly, often during respiratory diseases.
- Hormonal - mainly women suffer, and they are associated with a change in hormone levels.
- Chronic - are considered the result of a disease or abnormality of the brain.
The nature of pain in various diseases
Pain in the occipital part of the head manifests itself in different ways and is a symptom of one of the following diseases:
- Spondylosis Bone growths form in the cervical spine. There is pain in the back of the head on the left or right side, the attacks are protracted and debilitating.
- Cervical osteochondrosis. Why does the neck and nape of the head hurt? Structural changes in the discs between the vertebrae are observed. Pathology is accompanied by a headache on the right side of the nape, which captures the entire back of the head, neck and temporal region. With sharp movements of the head, a complete loss of coordination of movement is possible.
- Myositis. It occurs with hypothermia and an uncomfortable position of the cervical spine. The occipital headache gives to the shoulder blades, shoulders and temples. It is characterized by asymmetry.
- Myogelosis Why does the nape of the head always hurt? Compaction of the cervical muscle tissue occurs, which is accompanied by a throbbing pain in the neck of the head.
- Hypertension. High blood pressure causes constant headaches in the back of the head and temples. This causes dizziness, palpitations, and nausea.
- Occipital neuralgia. The disease is characterized by shooting pains on the left or right side of the nape, which depend on the movement of the head.
- Intracranial pressure. Herpes zoster headaches with localization in the occipital part, dizziness, vomiting, photophobia, tearing appear.
Why does the head ache in the back of the head?
The reasons depend on the type of pain and appear with the development of pathology in the occipital region of the brain and neck, where there are blood vessels, cranial and spinal nerves and muscles. Unpleasant sensations in the back of the head arise due to:
- traumatic brain injury, damage to the soft and bone tissues of the head;
- changes in climatic and weather conditions;
- constant and severe stressful conditions;
- mental disorders;
- fluctuations in blood pressure;
- inflammatory process in the occipital nerve;
- malignant or benign neoplasms;
- acute cerebrovascular accident;
- taking or refusing drugs;
- infectious diseases;
- abnormalities of the vessels of the brain and neck;
- atherosclerosis of blood vessels;
- inflammation of the muscles of the neck.
To identify and eliminate the causes of headaches, a person should seek the help of medical professionals.
Diagnostic measures
It is very important for the doctor to understand why the headache in the back of the head of the patient who came to him is sore. To identify the cause of the patient’s complaints, the doctor conducts a conversation with him, during which the nature of the pain and the intensity, location, duration and reaction to taking painkillers are clarified. After that, he recommends the following examinations that will help to make an accurate diagnosis:
- Laboratory studies - a general and biochemical analysis of blood and urine to detect inflammatory, autoimmune and metabolic processes.
- MRI - used to detect cerebrovascular accidents that occurred after a stroke, tumors, pathologies in the cervical spine.
- EEG - helps to identify deviations from the normal functioning of the brain, vascular lesions, the presence of hematomas and tumors.
- CT scan - shows the presence of tumors, cysts, blood clots, structural changes in brain tissue.
- X-ray - allows you to identify the effects of injuries, sinusitis, dropsy of the brain.
- Ultrasound - helps to detect problems with blood vessels, aneurysms, blood flow disorders.
- EMG - are used to study the work of the neuromuscular connection of the brain with muscles.
All these measures will help to identify why the head hurts in the back of the head, and to prescribe the correct course of therapy, which will save the patient from the troubles that have arisen.
Temporal and occipital pain
The main causes of pain in the back of the head and temples are considered negative changes in the functioning of the vascular system. When a spasm occurs, the vessels are compressed and certain parts of the brain are left without food, and when they relax, on the contrary, a significant ejection of blood occurs. The autonomic nervous system controls the vascular tone, therefore, throbbing pain indicates violations in its work. Why does the nape of the head and whiskey hurt? These may be symptoms of various diseases. They are conditionally divided into the following groups:
- Neurological - stressful situations, migraine, inflammatory processes in the occipital nerve, neurosis.
- Vascular - high blood pressure, vegetovascular dystonia, intracranial hypertension.
- Diseases of the cervical spine - myositis, osteochondrosis, spondylosis, myogelosis, cervical migraine, professional tension pain.
In addition, such pains occur with certain infectious diseases and tumor processes in the brain. And also contribute to this:
- bad habits - smoking and alcohol;
- sleep on a hard pillow;
- excitement of a psycho-emotional nature;
- regular use of caffeinated drinks and a sharp rejection of them.
Why does the nape of the head and whiskey hurt? This is always the response of the individual organism to the wrong lifestyle or problems that arise in the body. Immediate medical attention is required for:
- increased pain with increased loads;
- lasting several hours in a row or several days of pain;
- unpleasant sensations in the morning, before getting out of bed;
- tinnitus, nausea, vomiting, impaired coordination of movements.
Important! If blood pressure rises sharply with pulsating pain, urgent medical attention is needed because of the high probability of a hypertensive crisis.
One-sided headache
A single pain in the occipital part of the head is not a cause for concern, but with a severe syndrome, aches and dizziness, there is a reason to consult a doctor. Why does the right part of the nape of the head hurt? This may be a sign of pathologies:
- brain;
- upper spine;
- nerve roots.
Unpleasant sensations also arise due to hypothermia or being in a draft. Particular attention should be paid to right-sided pulsating pains that recur periodically and cause a numbness in the back. At the same time, in some patients there is tinnitus, hearing impairment, and maybe a violation of coordination of movements. In this case, an examination is necessary to confirm or refute such a diagnosis as "osteochondrosis of the cervical spine." If the suspicions are confirmed, complex therapy will be required to eliminate the discomfort.
One of the reasons why the right part of the nape of the head hurts is the failure of cerebral circulation that occurs during a stroke. It all starts with the appearance of pain in the head, noise, dizziness, fatigue and weakness. The reason is chronic cerebrovascular insufficiency, which is caused by arterial hypertension and atherosclerosis.
In this case, the walls of the vessels become denser, narrowing and tortuosity are possible, or plaques form. In some cases, the gaps in the vessels completely overlap, which violates the nutrition of the brain. The disease progresses all the time. In this case, medical assistance is necessary, self-medication is unacceptable.
Sometimes the patient complains, on the contrary, of left-sided discomfort. Why does the left side of the head of the head hurt? This may be a sign of neuralgia. Pain occurs as a result of compression of the roots of the occipital nerve. The reason is often a neck and back injury, a cold, cervical osteochondrosis, muscle strain, infection. In addition to the pain syndrome, nausea appears, vomiting when moving the head. The problem area loses sensitivity over time.
Dizziness and back pain
The main causes of dizziness and a feeling of tightness in the back of the head are:
- physical and mental stress;
- persistent depression and stressful situations;
- pathology of the cervical spine;
- hypertension or hypotension;
- vegetovascular dystonia and jumps in intracranial pressure;
- head injuries and bruises in the neck;
- osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
As you can see, there are many reasons why the back of the head hurts and you feel dizzy. What should be done in such cases before visiting a doctor:
- Ventilate the room well, unfasten the top button of clothes.
- Lie down and relax.
- Massage the back of the head and neck.
- Calm down, drink a tincture of valerian or motherwort.
- Measure blood pressure. At high, take drugs to reduce it, at low - drink coffee or a little cognac, tincture of lemongrass, ginseng or eleutherococcus.
Pain in the back of the head and dizziness can be signs of many ailments, including serious ones. Therefore, after an attack, you must consult a doctor. Self-treatment is not recommended.
Conservative treatment
Only a doctor can identify why the head hurts in the back of the head on the right side or, conversely, on the left. Most often, a neurologist does this, but you can also contact another specialist, such as a therapist. The main methods used in the treatment of headaches:
- Taking medications - the patient is prescribed anti-inflammatory, analgesic and hormonal medications, depending on the diagnosis.
- Massage - used in complex treatment, often prescribed for pain in the back of the head after trauma and chronic migraines.
- Manual therapy - allows you to eliminate the cause without medical treatment and surgical intervention, it is used both for therapeutic and prophylactic purposes. And when prescribing drugs enhances their effect. Before the sessions, the doctor will explain in detail why his head hurts in the back of the head and answer questions of interest.
- Acupuncture - sometimes prescribed simultaneously with manual therapy. Short-term exposure to acupuncture stimulates the work of organs, improving blood circulation and activating the immune system.
- Osteopathy - eliminates the causes of headaches as a result of improving the functioning of muscles, joints and organs.
- Physiotherapy - ultrasound, direct and alternating current, as well as a magnetic field have a beneficial effect on the body, helping to eliminate headaches.
- Extracorporeal hemocorrection is a blood purification procedure. Assign it when identifying the exact cause (why the head of the head hurts on the right side or on the left, we already discussed), indicating an atherosclerotic lesion of the cerebral vessels. Substances contributing to the formation of atherosclerotic plaques are removed from the individual’s blood.
- “Dysport” injections are indicated for pain caused by tension and migraines. The drug is injected into the muscles to reduce spasm and relieve tension.
- Physiotherapy exercises - correctly selected exercises and systematic exercises help to cope with pain in the occipital region of the head.
In addition, in the treatment of headaches, folk remedies are also used, which can complement the above treatment methods.
Preventive actions
Headaches by origin are divided into primary and secondary. For their prevention, it is necessary to exclude factors that provoke their appearance. To do this, it is recommended:
- Daily walk in the fresh air and have moderate exercise.
- Observe the daily routine.
- In the diet include foods containing vitamins and minerals, eat more vegetables and fruits, nuts. Exclude spicy food.
- Eat at the same time three to six times in small portions.
- Try to avoid stressful situations, fatigue, tension.
- Full sleep 7-8 hours a day.
- Sleep on a comfortable orthopedic pillow and the same mattress.
- Do neck exercises regularly.
- Do not abuse bad habits: smoking and alcohol.
- Take vitamin complexes several times a year.
All these simple measures will help to avoid occipital headaches.
Instead of a conclusion
The pains appear in any part of the head and are throbbing, shooting, dull, pressing, bursting. However, they arise suddenly and quickly pass or last a long time. Why does the head ache in the back of the head? There are quite a few reasons, as you could see. An individual without an appropriate medical education cannot establish an accurate diagnosis, so you should not waste time on this and take medications on your own. The best option in this case is to consult a doctor, undergo an examination and a course of therapy prescribed by a specialist. Be healthy!