Severe pain in the back of the head. The back of the head hurts

There is no such person who did not suffer from pain in the head. This part of the body can hurt from different sides, it all depends on the malfunction of the body and on the characteristics of the pathology. A severe headache in the back of the head is the most common problem. In this article, you can learn about the causes of pathology and the methods of its treatment.

Important! According to professionals, constant or sharp pain in the back of the head may indicate a rather serious and dangerous illness, therefore it is strictly forbidden to completely ignore it.

Pain in the occipital part are secondary and primary. In the second case, all the most unpleasant sensations are the main sign of a dangerous disease - a benign or malignant formation. This can be attributed.

Secondary pain is characterized by the fact that it manifests itself against the background of a certain pathology, for example, a stroke or a tumor. Such pain can appear after a large amount of coffee drunk, and also act as a side effect of taking the drug or its withdrawal. Pain is divided into types according to the characteristics of their severity:

Dull;
Pulsating;
Acute;
squeezing;
Accurate and spilled.

The distribution is also based on intensity. Pain in the back of the head is strong, weak and moderate. Unpleasant symptoms can haunt every day, and may appear at certain periods. Based on these features, the doctor will build a general treatment regimen.

When occipital pain occurs, the sensations of pain can be different. Patients may feel sharp pain, it may be dull. Headache pain in the back of the head can haunt for quite a long time, the pain can be both constant and throbbing. In some situations, discomfort appears and lasts for some time, and may disappear after a relatively short time.

The pain itself is unpleasant, and it also makes it difficult to concentrate.

In the process of exacerbation, it is impossible to engage in daily activities, there is no strength to carry out the simplest activities. If the whole back of the head hurts a lot, this affects the work of those people who are forced to constantly concentrate, there is a risk of missing one or another important point.

Due to the frequent occurrence of headaches, many are trying to find a solution to the problem, eliminate it with the help of medicines or folk remedies. These actions can only achieve a temporary effect, in order to completely eliminate the problem, you will need to contact a specialist who will determine the problem and only after that will prescribe an effective treatment. With the right approach, a sharp headache in the back of the head no longer manifests itself.

What pressure if whiskey hurts - read the article.
Symptoms
The majority of people who suffer from severe headaches lead a sedentary or recumbent lifestyle. It is they who develop dizziness and severe pain in the entire occipital part. The causes are associated with the cervical part of the spine, there is a cervical migraine, acute osteochondrosis or spondylitis. Quite often, those who suffer from diseases of the cervical muscles or myositis face a problem. There are many reasons for the appearance of a headache, here are the most important of them:
Diseases of the spine in the neck. The whole neck can hurt here, and the general pain with a swift and sharp turn can be quite strong. The main reason for the occurrence of pain is the growth of the main bone processes that are present along the edges of the body of the spine. There is also a clamping of the vessels that go to the brain.
Long-term incorrect general position of the body. This form of pain is typical strictly for those who are at the computer, who, due to their professional activities, are forced to stay in one fixed position for a long time. The pain appears in the evening and is characterized as dull and unpleasantly aching. After a normal rest, it completely disappears.
Myogelosis. This is a tightening of the neck muscles, which also occurs on the basis of a long-term stay in a clear position. The reason is a violation of the figure and posture, strong drafts and seasonal hypothermia. All this can lead to severe difficulty in movement, as well as to the appearance of such a problem as frequent headaches in the back of the head and temples.
High blood pressure. This form of pathology can be judged if the occipital pain is constantly accompanied by severe nausea, flies. An increase in pain occurs after emotional stress, especially in the morning.
Chronic neuralgia of the nerves of the occiput. Pathology is caused by diseases of the spine, severe hypothermia. Pain symptoms appear unexpectedly, while the attacks can be quite strong, and the pain spreads to the back and shoulders, to the ear and jaw. Migraine of the neck. This is a disease that occurs due to the pathology of blood vessels, it is provoked by improper functioning of the arteries. The patient suffers from burning pains in the temples and in the occipital region, there is a strong tinnitus, fainting.
Long-term mental and standard muscle tension. A long stay in such tension leads to a dangerous vasospasm, to an increase in special stress hormones. In this case, the pain develops at night and in the evening. Young women suffer from this problem, who are characterized by the syndrome of hyperresponsibility, who try in every possible way to control everything that happens.
Inactivity and lack of fresh oxygen. there are dull pains that appear in the evening. Every day, workaholics who spend in stuffy rooms with a minimum of physical activity have a headache.
Tension of all optic nerves. Aches and sharp pain can occur due to vision problems or improper frames and lenses. For computer scientists, this is a fairly common phenomenon.

If the crisis is severe, Lasix may be given intravenously. This situation is characterized by dangerous symptoms, the patient goes to the hospital, where the pressure is immediately reduced.
With diagnosed myositis, the doctor prescribes physiotherapy exercises and massage. Very often, pain is caused by severe overwork. In this case, you just need to completely normalize your sleep, remove stress and minimize work on the PC. Pain is relieved with simple analgesics.
You can eliminate a headache with the help of spicy, sweet and fatty foods. You should review your diet, drink up to 2.5 liters of water per day.
You can get a little hungry, as well as completely forget about cigarettes and nicotine.

It is worth calming down, reducing nervous tension. Walking, meeting with friends, hiking, yoga classes are ideal here. Before going to bed, you should take a light sedative and a warm bath.
Carrying out regular massage of the collar zone helps to quickly relieve spasm due to a significant improvement in blood circulation. It is better to always keep your head warm, try not to catch a cold.
These are steps that you can do on your own. You can also use various folk methods of treatment, which are no less effective in the process of dealing with such an unpleasant phenomenon as occipital headache. About a day after full compliance with all the rules, the pain becomes less intense.
Folk methods of pain relief
In the process of resolving the issue of what can be done in a situation where the occipital part of the head hurts, it must be remembered that it is absolutely not necessary to drink medications right away.
It is enough to ventilate the room, slightly humidify the air with the help of special modern devices.

Experts advise taking certain actions as soon as the pain makes itself felt. It is required to immediately provide yourself with silence and complete peace. It is advisable to lie on your back, you need to put a cool compress made from cabbage on your forehead. Beforehand, it is useful to drink a herbal infusion based on linden, pharmacy sage and mint.
Peppermint-based tea is ideal for pain relief. The herb is used in its pure form and at the same time with cinnamon or dissolved in green tea. This is a very healthy drink that perfectly refreshes, tones, improves digestion, and is also characterized by ideal nutritional qualities. Peppermint is ideal for those who suffer from high blood pressure, it reduces it.
Cranberries can be used as folk remedies for treating headaches. Juice from it or alcohol tincture perfectly reduces headaches. Drinking these mixtures is 50 ml three times a day.
No less effective is red viburnum, which eliminates migraines in a few minutes. The fruits can be ground with sugar or just added a small amount to tea. Just three tablespoons of the berry is enough to give the body a daily dose of vitamin C, relieve stress and provide optimal antiviral therapy.
Each herb is taken in the amount of one tablespoon. Everything is poured with a liter of boiling water and infused in a thermos for 6 hours. after the mixture has been infused and filtered, you need to add half a liter of vodka to it. All this is again insisted throughout the day. The composition is taken before meals, 30 ml. To obtain a positive effect, the mixture must be drunk completely.
Ginger is no less effective for occipital headaches. It is necessary to prepare tea from it, simply by adding grated root in the amount of one tablespoon to hot water. After boiling the mixture, it should be infused for about 20 minutes. Tea is drunk in the morning before meals. To achieve a faster result, mint can be added to the infusion.
There are some recipes that can be used externally. This is an ideal opportunity to remove unpleasant symptoms with such means that are allergenic. Among the most popular means are:
Lemon or other citrus zest. The substance is taken in the amount of a couple of spoons, placed on the whiskey for about 15 minutes. At the end of the procedure, everything is simply washed off with water.
Sugar has a special analgesic effect. It is worth making sugar syrup, cool and moisten gauze to it and attach it to the forehead area. It usually goes away after 30 minutes. It is advisable to use cane sugar.
Pain relief can be provided by ordinary potatoes, which are pre-rubbed to give it the appearance of gruel. The mixture is placed on the forehead or in the place of its localization. From above, you can put on a warm hat and walk around in it for an hour. Many patients note that in 10 sessions they are completely relieved of the migraine that has tormented them for years.

Various herbs can be used externally. This applies not only to mint, but to ordinary cabbage. It is important to pre-knead the product and apply to the head. Usually only a few minutes are enough to completely eliminate the pain.
Preventive measures
With frequent headaches, it is worth carefully observing preventive measures that will help get rid of headaches. If the patient spends a lot of time in a sitting position, it is necessary to equip the workplace as competently as possible.
It is worth buying a comfortable chair and an ergonomic desktop, and carefully adjust everything in the process of arranging the workplace.

Great importance is given to the bed and bedding. To completely eliminate problems with the spine, you need to buy orthopedic mattresses and pillows.
If you are constantly worried about severe pain, you will need to completely eliminate everything that will cause and intensify such attacks. First of all, this concerns the rejection of alcoholic beverages and nicotine.
It is necessary to lead a more active lifestyle, get enough sleep, and then you can forget about the problem for many years.
With more serious problems, competent drug therapy will achieve positive dynamics.

Not everyone knows what diseases the back of the head hurts, the reasons for what to do in this situation, what kind of pain it is. Headache is a common complaint of patients when visiting a doctor. In one case, headache is the only symptom, while in others it is combined with nausea and other symptoms. Pain in the back of the head is not always a symptom of the disease. They can occur due to overvoltage. What are the causes of headache?

If the back of the head hurts, it is required to establish the exact cause of this condition, because a headache is only a clinical symptom. Millions of people around the world suffer from this disease. Modern man lives in an era of scientific and technological progress. The massive use of computers, phones, tablets, increased background noise, the active development of industry - all this negatively affects the state of the nervous system and the cardiovascular system. Pain in the back of the head may be due to the following pathological processes:

brain damage;
muscle damage in the neck;
high blood pressure;
long static load;
neuralgia.

lyUTkWcRNHo

The mechanism of development of pain syndrome is different. In the head area there are ligaments, muscles, nerves, blood vessels. In this regard, pain in the back of the head is not always a symptom of brain diseases.

Types of disease

Headache in the occipital region is divided into several types. There are the following types of pain in the head:

with migraine;
tension headache;
cluster;
infectious etiology;
vascular;
metabolic;
post-traumatic;
with pathology of the brain;
medicinal.

DoCIEGhWXNI

Pain in the occipital part of the head are primary and secondary. Primary is characterized by the fact that it is the main symptom of the disease. A typical example is migraine pain. Secondary pain is different in that it occurs against the background of another somatic pathology (tumor, stroke). Secondary pain may appear with the use of large amounts of caffeine. If the back of the head hurts, this may indicate the use of certain medications or their sudden cancellation.

Pain in the back of the head are dull, throbbing, squeezing, sharp. They can be point or spilled. There are 3 degrees of pain intensity: mild, moderate and severe. The pain syndrome can disturb a person every day or it occurs periodically. Sometimes, before the onset of pain, its precursors appear. The pain syndrome is most pronounced against the background of inflammation of the dura mater, blood vessels and nerves.

Main etiological factors

Back pain in the head can be a manifestation of the following diseases and pathological conditions:

If the head hurts, the reason may lie in professional activities. There are many professions in which workers take a forced, uncomfortable body position. The risk group includes programmers, people involved in small manual work (seamstresses, watchmakers, jewelers). They work in the wrong position. Pain in the occipital region of the head is a sign of malocclusion. At the same time, such people are worried about dull, constant pain. It may intensify in the evening. Pain in the back of the head, especially in women, often occurs against the background of emotional experiences. Sometimes pressure in the head and pain are observed against the background of physical activity. Contributes to this vascular pathology.

If the back of the head hurts, the cause may lie in the pathology of the neck. The most common cause is cervical osteochondrosis. Almost everyone over the age of 25 suffers from this disease. In some people, the disease is asymptomatic for a long time, while in others there are pronounced periods of exacerbation. Osteochondrosis is a chronic disease of the spine, in which the intervertebral discs are affected. In this case, the cartilage tissue becomes less durable and elastic. Over time, cartilage discs can wear out completely. There are 4 stages of development of this pathology. Pain in the back of the head may appear already at stage 1 of osteochondrosis.

P3GlbPmqAS0

There are the following reasons for the development of this disease:

incorrect body position during written work or work at a computer;
spinal column injuries;
circulatory disorders.

Predisposing factors include physical inactivity, low physical activity, stress, hereditary predisposition, prolonged sitting, congenital developmental anomalies, bad habits. Pain in the back of the head is the most common symptom of cervical osteochondrosis. It is most pronounced in the later stages of the disease in the presence of complications (vertebral artery syndrome).

The syndrome of the vertebral artery is caused by squeezing of the vessel and impaired blood supply to the brain. The pain is intense and throbbing. Pain can also be felt in other areas (left or right in the parietotemporal region). Often there is pain in the head, burning, dizziness, nausea, fear of noise and light. The appearance of pain in osteochondrosis without complications is due to spasm of the muscles located at the back of the neck. Sometimes the pain is felt in the hands. This happens when the nerve roots become inflamed.

pain syndrome in migraine

A sharp headache in the back of the head is the main symptom of a migraine. This is a disease in which persistent or recurrent headaches are observed. They can be localized in any area: on the left or right in the temples, in the back of the head or in the forehead. Migraine is a disease of unknown etiology. The following triggering factors for the development of this pathology are distinguished:

exposure to environmental factors (strong odors, the use of certain products);
lack of sleep;
sleep during the daytime;
stress;
severe overwork;
smoking;
brainwork.

rKoPIwZ9DJY

There are 2 types of migraine: with and without aura. An aura is a collection of symptoms that appear just before the headache. Migraine headaches have the following characteristics:

intense;
pulsating;
more often unilateral;
often accompanied by nausea;
aggravated by the movement of a person;
gradually increase.

Often headaches are pressing. They are so painful that they make daily household activities difficult. A sharp headache in the back of the head is due to the narrowing and expansion of blood vessels in the head. Migraine headaches without aura can last for several days incessantly. Migraines can also occur in children. In this case, it most often has two-sided localization. The most common reason is a large mental load in a child.

Neuralgia of the occipital nerve

The neck and back of the head can hurt with neuralgia of the occipital nerve. Pain syndrome appears when a nerve is pinched. In severe cases, the nerve roots in the neck are involved in the process. The following causes of the development of neuralgia of the occipital nerve are distinguished:

sedentary work;
stress;
tumors;
traumatic injury to the spinal column;
herniated discs;
cervical osteochondrosis;
hypothermia;
gout;
endarteritis;
tuberculous spondylitis.

GUT_FuOOaWE

The most common signs of neuralgia are:

pain in the back of the head, lower neck or ears;
increased sensitivity to bright light;
difficulty turning the neck.

Pain in the back of the head tends to increase when turning the head. Increased pain is observed if you touch the occipital region. In some cases, pain is felt in the eye area. The pains are shooting, but may be burning. Such patients are forced to turn their heads in one direction in order to alleviate their condition. Pain syndrome occurs periodically. Often hypothermia contributes to its appearance. Neuralgia occurs in persons who do not wear scarves and a hat in the winter season. If the neck or the back of the head suffers from neuralgia, then a violation of skin sensitivity in this area is often observed.

Vascular diseases

If it hurts in the back of the head, the causes lie in cardiovascular diseases. Not everyone knows why it hurts and dizzy with hypertension. Normally, blood pressure does not exceed 139/89 mm. rt. Art. Often the pressure reaches 200 mm. rt. Art. and more. There are the following reasons for the development of hypertension:

burdened heredity;
atherosclerosis;
irrational nutrition;
smoking;
alcohol consumption;
stress;
overweight;
physical inactivity.

hEidPfp1Mn4

In people suffering from hypertension, with a significant increase in pressure, the back of the head may begin to hurt badly. The pain is throbbing or bursting. It is able to increase when a person tilts to the side. The occurrence of pain is due to the narrowing of the lumen of the blood vessels that feed the brain. Additional symptoms of the disease are dizziness, weakness. In severe cases, headache is combined with nausea or vomiting. After vomiting, the pain syndrome may decrease. A severe headache is often a sign of a hypertensive crisis.

Diagnostic and therapeutic measures

When it hurts in the occipital region, you should consult a doctor. In this situation, a consultation and examination by a neurologist may be required. Treatment is prescribed after a thorough examination of the patient. Diagnostics includes:

identification of complaints at the time of contacting a doctor;
collecting an anamnesis of the disease and an anamnesis of life;
computer or magnetic resonance imaging of the skull;
general and biochemical blood test;
neurological examination;
carrying out electroencephalography;
determination of the lipid spectrum of the blood (if atherosclerosis is suspected);
measurement of intracranial pressure;
measurement of blood pressure;
electromyography;
ECG and ultrasound of the heart;
angiography;
x-ray examination of the cervical spine.

Treatment depends on the underlying disease. What to do if you have a headache due to a migraine? Migraine treatment involves the use of painkillers such as Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Pentalgin, antipyretics (Solpadein), serotonin receptor agonists (Sumatriptan, Zolmitriptan), ergot preparations. Anticonvulsants and antidepressants may be prescribed. To eliminate the pain syndrome, massage, acupuncture, and cold compresses on the head can be performed.

What treatment should be carried out if the pain in the head is provoked by a hypertensive crisis? Treatment in this situation involves providing the patient with rest, the use of antihypertensive drugs, such as Nifedipine, Captopril. In case of cerebral or pulmonary edema, Lasix is administered. With the development of seizures, intravenous administration of Seduxen is indicated. The pressure in a crisis must be reduced slowly.

NL357GfJzuo

If the pain is caused by myositis, treatment involves massage, physiotherapy.

If the headache is caused by overwork, you should normalize sleep, eliminate stressful situations, spend less time at the computer. When osteochondrosis is detected, treatment involves long-term use of chondroprotectors. NSAIDs (Diclofenac, Ibuprofen) are used to eliminate pain. Thus, constant pain in the occipital region is a reason to see a doctor.

Headaches are familiar to everyone. And if they do not pursue constantly, but appear only occasionally, then in most cases this phenomenon is quite normal. If a person is concerned about localized painful sensations, for example, pain in the back of the head on the right, then this may indicate serious problems in the body. Therefore, with the repeated appearance of this symptom, it is imperative to consult a doctor to find out the causes and prescribe treatment.

Pain that manifests itself in the back of the head should alert when they accompany a person constantly or often enough. It is recommended to go to the doctor's office if the pain increases with exercise, lasts for several days, or sharply appears in the morning even when stationary.

Often, pain in the back of the head is not the only symptom of the disease, and it may be accompanied by:

Noises in the head, stuffy ears and blackouts in the eyes.
Nausea and vomiting.
Numbness of limbs.
Dizziness and loss of coordination.

In addition to being accompanied by various symptoms, pain in the occipital part of the head also differs in the nature of the course. She may be:

Pulsating and constant.
Aggravated by movement of the head or the whole body.
Strong (with recoil to the lower jaw).
Sharp and paroxysmal.

Depending on the nature of the pain in the back of the head on the right, the doctor will be able to determine what this condition may be associated with.

Causes

Pain in the back of the head does not occur on its own - there are many reasons that can cause it. There are a number of diseases in which such pain is an important symptom. But there are also a number of factors that can cause this symptom, these include:

Overvoltage, severe or prolonged stress.
Mental disorders.
Lack or excess of sleep.
Too much physical activity, especially if they are directed to the cervical spine.
Wrong, unbalanced diet, especially the abuse of diets.
Bad habits (smoking, alcohol).

If pain in the back of the head is associated with these factors, then you can get rid of discomfort simply by changing the regimen of the day, sleep and nutrition, or eliminating stress that provokes pain.

A number of diseases that are often associated with pain in the occipital region on the right:

Injuries and pathologies of development of the cervical spine.
Neuralgia.

All these conditions require treatment, otherwise it is impossible to get rid of pain in the back of the head.

This disease is one of the most common causes of pain in such localization. Vertebral artery syndrome (another name for the disease) can occur for various reasons, including osteochondrosis, spinal injuries, atherosclerosis, muscle spasms, and others. When the disease occurs, a significant violation of the flow of blood to the brain through one or both arteries. At the same time, blood circulation is not disturbed to such an extent that strokes occur, but sufficient to cause unpleasant symptoms in the form of headaches in the back of the head, poor coordination, and a decrease in the level of vision.

Cervical migraine is also accompanied by the following symptoms:

Transferring pain to the temples, eyes, ears.
High sensitivity of the skin in the back of the head on the right.
Vertigo.
Noise in ears.
Numbness of limbs, tongue.

Myositis is an inflammatory process that occurs in the muscle. If myositis occurs in the muscles of the cervical region, then the head begins to hurt in the back of the head on one side, while the pain is quite strong and intensifies when the head is turned. Also, with such a disease, pain can appear in the temples, ears, shoulder, as a reflection of pain in the back of the head on the right.

Myositis appears in connection with hypothermia, muscle spasm, various infectious diseases. Also, the disease can be provoked by the presence of diabetes in the patient.

Increased intracranial pressure (ICP) can cause headaches in the back of the head. An increase in ICP occurs when cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in one area, which can occur due to many reasons, including pathologies of pregnancy and childbirth, strokes, infectious diseases, tumors, cysts in the head, as well as when taking certain medications. ICP is one of the most common causes of pain on the right side of the back of the head.

Often, pain in the back of the head with intracranial pressure is accompanied by nausea and vomiting, muscle paralysis, and dizziness.

Neuralgia

Neuralgia can occur in almost anyone, even a healthy person. This disease causes pain along the course of the nerve, but is not associated with inflammation. Neuralgia can appear after a long uncomfortable position, for example, in a dream, hypothermia, infectious diseases, with osteochondrosis and other factors that provoke the disease. In this condition, the pain persists constantly and increases with head movement, it can be either mild or very strong.

Diagnosis and treatment

Headache usually does not cause serious concern in a person, as it is often caused by an incorrect daily routine, sleep and rest, an unbalanced diet, and other similar problems. If a headache in the back of the head on the right side appears often, then it is likely that the person has certain health problems. And to find out why it hurts, you can only with the help of a specialist - a neuropathologist and. In order to identify the causes of pain, the doctor not only collects a complete history, but also conducts diagnostic measures - blood pressure measurement, magnetic resonance imaging, rheoencephalography, computed tomography and other methods if necessary.

Symptomatic treatment of pain in the right side of the back of the head is not carried out - painkillers help only temporarily relieve discomfort. To get rid of intermittent or persistent pain, it is imperative to eliminate the cause. Therapy is prescribed depending on the identified disease. In most cases, medical treatment is sufficient, which is often a complex of drugs, and for neuralgia and cervical migraine, physiotherapy is also indicated. If the disease is associated with pathologies of the spine, manual therapy can be recommended, which also shows high efficiency.

Some diseases may also require surgery, but such situations are rare. For example, increased intracranial pressure may be caused by a tumor, and in order to normalize it, such a formation must be removed.

Prevention

In order not to know the sensations when the back of the head hurts, it is recommended to follow preventive measures on an ongoing basis. These measures include:

Avoid hypothermia and exposure to drafts.
Moderate amount of physical activity (both overexertion and refusal to play sports can cause diseases).
Compliance with sleep and rest (adults are recommended to sleep for 8 hours at night).
Avoidance of stressful situations.
Refusal of bad habits, including smoking.
Limiting the consumption of fatty, fried foods.
Sleep on a hard bed or orthopedic mattress.

Such simple preventive measures will help minimize the likelihood of pain in the right side of the back of the head.

Often people do not pay attention to the pain in the head - it is considered something familiar, ordinary. But pain in the back of the head on the right side can mean not just an uncomfortable sleep the previous night or stress at work, but also a serious illness that requires urgent treatment. Therefore, recurring painful sensations must necessarily become a signal to contact a specialist to find out the reasons behind the pain, and following this appointment of adequate therapy. In no case should treatment be delayed by drowning out pain with analgesic drugs - this behavior can cause complications or aggravate the course of the disease.

Content

Everyone experiences headaches throughout their lives. An unpleasant syndrome can appear episodically or pursue for years, and the solution seems simple - take a pill. Few are able to think about the fact that painful discomfort at the bottom of the head or at the back of the head makes you aware of a serious health problem.

Why does the back of my head hurt?

The prerequisites can be different - from overwork to a disease of the spine or neurological pathology. Severe throbbing pain in the back of the head serves as a signal of the need to urgently consult a medical specialist in order to find out exactly the cause of the ailment. Only isolated cases of pain on the back of the head, for example, a head injury, do not serve as a symptom of the disease. The following are considered to be common reasons for its occurrence:

arterial hypertension;

chronic stress;
excessive physical activity;
osteochondrosis;
brain cyst;
osteophyte (deformation of the lateral processes of the vertebrae);
increased intracranial pressure;
cervical myositis (inflammation of the neck muscles).

Features of pain in the back of the head

One-time cases of pain in the back of the head, although not a reason for serious unrest, but if the nature of the pain syndrome is very pronounced, there is aches, dizziness, then hospitalization may be necessary. The difficulty of making a correct diagnosis is due to the fact that soreness in the back of the head can occur periodically. To choose a treatment regimen, the doctor needs to know where the pain appears: in the head itself or in the cervical region. An unpleasant feature of uncomfortable sensations: pain can move from one area of the occipital part to another.

On the right side

Headache in the back of the head, which is localized only on one side, may be a symptom of a disease of the brain, upper spine, and nerve roots. The appearance of painful discomfort on the right side in the back of the head is not a reason to suspect a serious problem, because even an elementary draft can cause it. Do not start the situation to a critical state should be with a throbbing headache, recurring periodically along with a feeling of numbness from behind.

Such a case requires a mandatory examination, and one of the possible diagnoses is osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae, for the treatment of which complex therapy is used. People with impaired cerebral circulation can complain of throbbing pain on the right side of the back of the head, while the likely development of the pathology is a stroke. One lifestyle correction or taking a pill will not eliminate the cause, the headache on the right side will become stronger, and the feeling of heaviness in the back will become unbearable.

From the left side

Localization of pain in the back of the head can be a sign of neuralgia. Pain syndrome is a reaction of the body to pinching a large nerve in this area of the skull, while an unpleasant pulsation on the left is less common than in the back of the head on the right. Frequent causes of the development of this pathology are trauma. On the left side of the occipital part of the head, a migraine is capable of causing pain: from the temple, a dull pain spreads to the occipital part.

Pain in the back of the head at the base of the skull

Discomfort, which is permanent, often indicates the presence of cervical osteochondrosis. The cause of pain in the back of the head is considered to be a sedentary lifestyle and a long stay in an uncomfortable position, which eventually leads to limited mobility at the base of the skull. If timely treatment of this disease is not started, then its development will lead to disc protrusion and the formation of an intervertebral hernia, which will greatly limit mobility.

What causes the back of the head in a child

To understand that the baby has a headache, and not his ears, will turn out only by observing the behavior. Young children themselves cannot accurately determine the area of appearance of the pain syndrome. When a child begins to whine, squeezes his head with his hands, this serves as clues for adults. If the fidget indicates that it hurts in the back of the head, then too active actions, for example, tumbling, jumping, running, may become the cause. Prolonged exposure to the sun will also cause dull pain. Among other common reasons why an unpleasant symptom appears are the following:

difficulty in liquor outflow;

acute intoxication caused by a bacterial or viral infection;
coughing;
vegetovascular dystonia;
hypotension;
meningitis;
head injury;
emotional overstrain;
hormonal imbalance in adolescents.

Which specialist to contact

Only an experienced specialist can make an accurate diagnosis with pain in the back of the head. The appearance of alarm signals that make themselves felt with moderate or intense pain is a serious reason for contacting the following medical specialists: a neurologist, a cardiologist, a traumatologist, a physiotherapist, and for practical help, a massage therapist. Postponing a visit to the doctor is dangerous if, along with soreness, symptoms such as nausea, burning, or dizziness appear with sharp turns of the neck.

Attempts to independently cope with a regularly occurring pain syndrome in the occipital part of the head will lead to the development of a possible pathology, because by relieving pain with medication, the patient does not treat the cause, but only temporarily eliminates the symptom. If the entire occipital part of the head hurts, then complex treatment will be required. Only a practicing specialist can choose an adequate scheme, taking into account the symptoms and advise additional methods, procedures, and means.

What to do if the head hurts in the back of the head

To resist unpleasant sensations only by taking medication will not work. Periodic pain in the back of the head makes you feel worse, and methods of physio- and manual therapy help to prevent this. Discomfort, taking by surprise, passes faster thanks to a light massage in a supine position. Compresses, airing, sleeping or lying down with your eyes closed to relax are good ways to speed up the action of the medicine and the headache in the back of the head will go away.

Massage

Therapeutic measures are a whole complex of different methods to eliminate the causes of a particular disease. If the pain in the neck and in the back of the head is not associated with hypertension or spondylosis, then massage helps to significantly reduce discomfort and even slow down the development of pathologies. Ideally, when a professional masseur will conduct it in courses with an interval of one to two months. Self-massage is considered a good alternative to this option: everyone can press lightly with fingertips on the back of the neck to reduce discomfort.

Physiotherapy

In order for the headache of the occipital part of the head to cause less discomfort, physiotherapy exercises are used. A set of special exercises is selected to relieve tense muscles and improve blood circulation. The advantage of physiotherapy is the absence of contraindications, but an important condition for achieving a successful result is the correct implementation of the recommendations. With the help of electrophoresis, magnetotherapy and other methods of exercise therapy, it will be possible to get rid of pain in osteochondrosis, spondylosis, and neuralgia.

Manual therapy

The dexterity of the doctor's hands is necessary in the treatment of a herniated disc or to eliminate muscle pain. This treatment technique is successfully used in an integrated approach, when a headache in the back of the head is provoked by cervical osteochondrosis. Manual therapy with this diagnosis helps to resist the development of the disease more effectively and relieves pain faster than drugs. A combination with acupressure can enhance the positive effect, but with high blood pressure, it is better to refuse this method.

Medications

Sudden pain will not be taken by surprise if suitable medicines are found. The only condition is to take medication when the head hurts in the back of the head at intervals or the attacks are severe, it is allowed only by agreement with the doctor. Some medications have serious side effects, such as Aspirin. It is better to relieve throbbing pain with paracetamol or Ibuprofen, sometimes antispasmodics (Solpadein, Panadol, No-shpalgin) help well, and sedatives or muscle relaxants should be taken for prevention.

Video: causes and treatment of pain in the neck and neck

Attention! The information provided in the article is for informational purposes only. The materials of the article do not call for self-treatment. Only a qualified doctor can make a diagnosis and give recommendations for treatment, based on the individual characteristics of a particular patient.

Did you find an error in the text? Select it, press Ctrl + Enter and we'll fix it!

Any occipital pain, whether it is excruciating, dull and prolonged or sudden, strong and shooting, brings a person physical and emotional discomfort. The cause of pain in the back of the head, which does not allow you to fully relax and perform daily activities, must be sought in pathologies associated with the most important systems of the body - the nervous, vascular and vertebral.

Why the back of the head hurts: causes of pain and its varieties

In most cases, the systematic appearance of occipital pain or its constant presence indicates disorders occurring in the vascular, nervous or vertebral system, as well as the formation of tumors or hematomas in this area. Also, a headache in the back of the head can also be triggered by non-pathological factors: weather dependence, air travel, uncomfortable position in a dream, and nervous strain.

Severe headache in the back of the head

Severe occipital pain is evidence of acute inflammatory processes occurring in this area. It can develop in the presence of the following pathologies:

Neuralgia of the nerve located in the occipital region - intense burning and paroxysmal pain covers the entire back of the head and can spread to the cervical region, muscles of the upper back, ears, lower jaw. In most cases, pain syndrome develops from the inflamed nerve.
Meningitis is a severe infection accompanied by very severe head pain, including the back of the head. Associated symptoms of the disease are high fever, vomiting, convulsions and, in severe cases, unconsciousness.

Neck headache and nausea

A frequent companion of occipital pain is. It may occur as a concomitant symptom of one of the following diseases:

and other forms of TBI - occipital pain appears after a traumatic effect on the brain structures located in this area. The formation of hematomas, brain tissue bruises or intracranial hemorrhages create pressure on the brain centers, thereby causing nausea and other unpleasant symptoms.
, localized in the back of the head - the pathology is characterized by almost non-passing dull pains. Nausea in such cases occurs due to the pressure of the tumor on the structures of the brain and the toxic effects of growing cancer cells on the body.

Throbbing pain in the back of the head

The main causes of pulsation in the back of the head are:

Arterial hypertension - throbbing pain, dizziness, double vision occur against the background of an increase in blood pressure, when the blood flow cannot circulate freely through the vessels of the brain.
Vascular spasms - with a pronounced spasm of the vessels located in the back of the head, a person may experience pulsation of varying degrees of intensity. Throbbing pain occurs in the back of the head, after which it spreads to the temporal and frontal parts of the head. In a calm state, the pulsation is moderate, with movements it intensifies.

Sharp headache in the back of the head

The occurrence of sudden sharp pain can be caused by the following reasons:

Cervical myositis - a sharp pain caused by inflammation of the cervical muscles. The pain attack intensifies with bending, movements of the neck and arms, in a calm state, its intensity decreases.
- manifests itself in the form of sharp occipital pains of a unilateral nature, often a consequence of cervical osteochondrosis. Pain is accompanied by dizziness, nausea, visual disturbances and other signs of a common migraine.
Subarachnoid hemorrhage is one of the dangerous and rare types of stroke, characterized by the appearance of sudden sharp occipital pain and its subsequent spread to other parts of the head. With this pathology, the prompt help of doctors is important to save the life of the patient.

Persistent headache in the back of the head

The cause of occipital pain, acquiring a protracted or permanent character and accompanied by other unpleasant symptoms, may be:

Cervical osteochondrosis - under the influence of age, injuries or with prolonged work in a stationary position, pathological changes in the tissues of the intervertebral discs begin in the spinal system. As a result, the patient almost constantly experiences stiffness in the neck and shoulders, dull pain in the head, localized in the back of the head.
Cervical spondylosis - bone growths that occur on the vertebrae under the influence of age or professional factors, reduce neck mobility and compress blood vessels, which significantly impede blood circulation through them. As a result of this, the patient constantly feels a dull headache in the back of the head, which intensifies even with minor physical exertion.

Neck pain and dizziness

Headache in the back of the head rarely presents without accompanying symptoms. Quite often, it is accompanied by dizziness, which may indicate the presence of the following diseases:

Are you worried about something? Illness or life situation?

Cervical osteochondrosis - occipital pain is present almost constantly, and is supplemented with tilts and active movements of the head and neck. The reason for the development of this symptom is a violation of the blood supply to the brain, caused by squeezing of blood vessels in places of deformation of the cervical vertebrae.
Arterial hypertension - dizziness acts as a concomitant symptom against the background of throbbing and bursting pain in the back of the head.
Cervical myogelosis is a disease in which blood flow in the neck muscles is disturbed and as a result, seals occur. Symptoms of the pathology are soreness of the back of the head, neck and shoulders, prolonged dizziness, stiffness of movements.

Shooting in the back of the head

Severe paroxysmal pain characteristic of neuralgia of the occipital nerves is often called "shooting". It can occur after hypothermia, exposure to drafts, exacerbation of the chronic stage of osteochondrosis. The pain syndrome is aggravated by movements of the neck and head, due to which the patient's condition is significantly aggravated.

Presses the back of the head

The causes of constant or paroxysmal pressing pain localized in the back of the head are:

Tension pains - appear with mental overwork, prolonged being in an uncomfortable position, the presence of frequent stressful situations and an increase in blood pressure as a result of this. The occurrence of tension pains is often associated with an occupational factor. So, unpleasant sensations are observed in people working in a sitting position - drivers, PC operators, office workers.
- the disease is characterized by paroxysmal pressing pain, which can cover both the entire head and a separate part of it (for example, the back of the head). In addition to feeling pressure on the back of the head, the patient experiences nausea, he may experience vomiting, dizziness, a number of visual and psycho-emotional disorders, and cramps in the limbs.

What to do if the back of the head hurts: diagnosis and treatment

A systematically manifested headache in the back of the head is a symptom of a disease. Before starting its treatment, you need to be examined by specialized specialists in order to determine the cause of the occurrence of pathological signs. After an initial examination by a therapist, a person suffering from occipital pain can be assigned the following types of studies:

examination by a neurologist, vertebrologist or oncologist according to indications;
examination of the spinal system by X-ray, CT or MRI;
assessment of the state of blood vessels using an encephalograph.

After passing the tests, the patient, depending on the diagnosis, may be recommended the following types of treatment:

Drug therapy - is prescribed in case of acute inflammatory processes or exacerbation of a chronic disease. In case of hypertension or vascular diseases, the patient is prescribed drugs that normalize the state of blood vessels and improve blood supply. With inflammation of the nerve endings or acute infections, it is necessary to take anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs, in severe cases - antibiotics.
Physiotherapy - sessions of magnetotherapy, ultrasound and electrophoresis are prescribed after undergoing drug therapy for osteochondrosis, inflammation of the occipital nerves, myogelosis, cervical spondylosis, intracranial hypertension.
Therapeutic exercise is effectively used to treat occipital pain in case of malfunctions of the spinal system caused by traumatic effects or age-related deformation.
Manual therapy, acupuncture, cranial osteopathy, folk remedies and other methods of alternative medicine are recommended to be used after a clear diagnosis has been made and agreed with the treating specialist.

Do you have a question? Ask it to us!

Feel free to ask your questions right here on the site.

If pain in the back of the head occurs regularly and taking painkillers only temporarily relieves the condition, you need not only to see a doctor and undergo a course of treatment, but also change your daily lifestyle, abandoning addictions and balancing the time of active activity with hours of rest.