Pressure and stress, tension, or stretching on the nerves can cause neuralgia type pain or occipital neuralgia. It is a very painful condition that can be helped with chiropractic care.
For a free consultation call us at (360) 260-6903.
Transcription
Hey, it’s Dr. Troy here. The Vancouver chiropractor.
I want to talk about Occipital Neuralgia.
“What the heck does that mean?” people ask me. Have you ever even heard of it?
Well, some people have been diagnosed with it have heard of it, because it can be a very painful condition. Usually, we are going to see pain at the occiput. So occipital means occiput and neuralgia, these yellow things are nerves, so neuralgia means nerve pain.
If you have got occipital neuralgia, some people would say a headache, maybe even migraine. But here’s the deal, if the upper bones in your spine get out of alignment, they are going to pressure and stress, or tension, or stretch on these nerves and you can get neuralgia type pain or occipital neuralgia. And the only way to know if chiropractic is right is to go to a chiropractor, get checked.
The medical approach typically is going to be to take medication, maybe we do some injections in there, maybe there is surgery that could be recommended. But if the bones are misaligned, that’s a very easy correction process to do. That’s why we always encourage people to get checked first.
A lot of this can come from trauma or sleeping wrong. And when we talk trauma, we’re talking macro traumas, big traumas, falls, you hit your head, somebody hit you in the back of the head, you’re in a car accident.
Then we have these repetitive traumas where you are looking down all day at a computer using a mouse, you work at Costco and you are checking beep, beep, beep all day. You are using your arms and you are putting a lot of stress and tension.
Then another thing nowadays is texting neck. Everybody’s looking down they’re texting on their electronic device. It puts a tremendous amount of stress on the upper cervical area. There’s a lot of muscle activity here, there a lot of neurological activity.
So occipital neuralgia is a sign that something’s being disturbed in the nerve system somewhere. So, let’s take a look, let’s see if there is misalignment which could be causing this problem and if it is chiropractic may be right for you.
(360) 260-6903 is our office number. Give us a call, we’ll be happy to schedule a consultation to see if we can help you with your occipital neuralgia.
We’re here at Zenaptic Chiropractic in Vancouver, Washington.
More Information On Occipital Neuralgia
Occipital neuralgia is officially known as a medical condition that is distinguished by ongoing pain and diminished sensation in the upper neck, the rear of the head and behind the eyes, which are the areas connected by the lesser and greater occipital nerves. A contributing factor is also the occipital artery, which wraps around the greater occipital nerve.
Neuralgia, as generally defined, is intense, often intermittent, pain along the course of a nerve. This particular form of neuralgia arises because of restrictions between the Occiput, C1 (Atlas) and C2 (axis) articulations, leading to inflammation and muscle tightness that can interfere with the nerves in the region.
What are the Causes of Occipital Neuralgia?
If you have been diagnosed with Occipital Neuralgia, there could be a number of different causes. The condition can arise from vertebral misalignment in the upper back and neck, trauma, incorrect sleep positions, arthritis, bad posture, neck tumors, diabetes, and stress that leads to tension in the neck muscles. Oftentimes, a doctor will not be able to determine an exact cause, but ultimately, neuralgia occurs due to a restriction or blockage of the nerves.
Medical professionals will likely be able to identify occipital neuralgia if the following symptoms are present:
- Headaches and pain that occur more prominently on side of the head
- Pain or a burning sensation that starts in the base of the skull and radiates upwards
- Pain located behind the eyes
- Increased light sensitivity
- Pain that becomes more pronounced when the neck moves
- Reduced range of neck motion
- Muscle tension in the neck
- Fatigue
Occipital Neuralgia Analysis and Treatment
The diagnosis of occipital neuralgia is determined clinically through intermittent attacks of sharp pain that propagates along the occipital nerve from the neck and under the ear towards the temple and eye. Once it has been established, there are a number of treatment options at a doctor’s disposal.
Obviously, a non-invasive treatment is much preferred. In extreme circumstances, surgery will become necessary. Normally, we’d start with some kind of anti-inflammatory medication first while trying to address the pain, so that we can then try to correct the underlying problem. A combination of manipulation, massage, exercise, heat, and rest will normally be effective.
Occipital Neuralgia and Chiropractic Care
A chiropractic approach to occipital neuralgia does more than just attack the symptoms. We’ll form a treatment plan that corrects the root problem, which is that the occipital nerve has been impaired. Through a prescribed series of spinal adjustments and decompression, we’ll work to make sure that your neck is properly aligned in order to take pressure off the nerve. In this way, nutrients and healing fluids will flow back into the affected area, stimulating the healing process.
Summary
If you or a loved one is suffering from occipital neuralgia, visit us at Zenaptic Chiropractic for a FREE consultation. We’ll investigate the possible causes and formulate a treatment plan that will help reduce the pain as quickly as possible while correcting the problem long term. We have a strong commitment to the health and well-being of all our patients. Call today to start down the path to improved wellness!
