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Have you ever felt a sharp shooting pain at the back of your head and neck that just doesn’t go away? You might be dealing with a lesser-known condition called occipital neuralgia. But don’t worry. In this blog, we will discuss occipital neuralgia, its symptoms, causes, and how chiropractic care in Singapore can help offer relief.
What is Occipital Neuralgia?
Occipital neuralgia is a neurological condition characterized by the intense, sharp, or shooting pain that originates from the occipital region (at the base of the skull). The pain sometimes extends to the back of your head, scalp, and behind your eyes. It is a chronic headache disorder in which pain follows the path of the occipital nerves.
Occipital nerves emerge from the upper part of your spinal cord and run through your scalp and deep muscles of your neck. These nerves provide sensory information from your scalp to the brain and help you feel sensations like pain and touch in these areas. When something goes wrong with this nerve, it leads to occipital neuralgia.
It is different from other headache disorders and migraines. It can be triggered by even the slightest touch, and the sharp pain lasts for only a few seconds to minutes. Whereas migraine pain lasts much longer than pain from occipital neuralgia.
What Causes Occipital Neuralgia?
Occipital neuralgia is primarily caused by irritation, inflammation, and compression of occipital nerves. There are some conditions that can damage these nerves and lead to occipital neuralgia. These include:
● Degenerative Changes in Cervical Spine
Conditions, such as osteoarthritis and degenerative disc disease, can contribute to occipital neuralgia. As the discs and joints in the cervical spine wear down, bone spurs and disc herniations develop. These can pinch nerve roots that form occipital nerves, leading to inflammation and pain.
● Trauma and Injury
Injury to the neck or head, such as whiplash, can damage your occipital nerve and surrounding tissues. This can trigger occipital neuralgia symptoms.
● Muscle tightness
Tight or strained muscles in the neck and upper back from poor posture and stress can press on the occipital nerves, leading to nerve irritation and pain.
● Inflammation
Conditions that cause inflammation, such as infections and vasculitis, can inflame tissues around the occipital nerves, leading to symptoms, such as head and neck pain
● Tumors
Tumors growing near the cervical spine or along the nerve roots can compress the occipital nerves and lead to nerve irritation
● Diabetes
Poorly controlled diabetes can damage the blood vessels and nerves and might lead to occipital neuralgia
Other factors that may increase your risk of developing occipital neuralgia include:
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Gout
- Genetic predisposition
- Sleep disorders
- Occupation involving neck stress due to strain from repetitive activities
- Stress, anxiety, and depression
Occipital Neuralgia Symptoms
The main symptom of occipital neuralgia is severe and sudden pain that is defined as sharp, stabbing, shooting, electric shock-like pain starting at the base of the skull and radiating to the upper part of your head. This episode of severe pain may persist only for a few seconds, but usually the tenderness around the area lasts much longer.
Other characteristics associated with occipital neuralgia include:
- Pain behind the eyes
- Throbbing, burning, or aching sensation in the back of the head and neck
- Extreme sensitivity around the areas near the occipital nerves (even resting the head on a pillow can trigger pain).
- Stiffness in neck muscles
Occipital Neuralgia Diagnosis
There is no single test to diagnose occipital neuralgia. Your healthcare provider will review your medical history and conduct a physical examination to differentiate it from other headache disorders. He might ask you to describe the nature of pain, its location, and how it feels. Further, they may inquire about any co-morbidities you have.
Your physician will also examine your occipital region by applying gentle pressure to the area to check if you experience sharp pain. Further, he might order some tests to rule out other conditions that cause similar symptoms.
1. Occipital Nerve Block Test:
It is used to find out if the occipital region is the source of your pain. Your doctor will inject a local anesthetic near the occipital nerves. If the pain improves or disappears after the injection, it indicates you have occipital neuralgia.
2. Imaging Test:
Diagnostic tests, like a CT scan or an MRI, reveal a full picture of your spine to assess if there are any structural abnormalities.
3. Additional Tests:
Your doctor might order electromyography or nerve conduction studies to evaluate your nerve function.
Occipital Neuralgia Treatment
The goal of treatment is to relieve nerve irritation and reduce inflammation. Your healthcare provider might recommend the following treatment options.
1. Medications
The following medicines might help provide relief.
● Pain Relievers
Over-the-counter medicines like ibuprofen and acetaminophen (Tylenol) can help decrease pain and inflammation.
● Neuropathic Pain Medication:
Your doctors may prescribe pregabalin or gabapentin for nerve pain.
● Botox Injections:
Botulinum toxin injections can help reduce inflammation. They block nerve signals that transmit pain and cause inflammation. Botox injection can provide relief up to three months.
2. Nerve Blockers
Your doctor might inject nerve-blocking agents along with steroids near the occipital region. This will help reduce the inflammation and block pain signals.
3. Physical Therapy
It can help relax tightened muscles around the neck, improve posture, and reduce pressure on occipital nerves.
4. Lifestyle Modification
Adapting following lifestyle choices can help improve occipital neuralgia symptoms.
- Improve posture during work or screen time
- Avoid activities that strain your neck muscles
- Managing stress by incorporating deep breathing exercises, yoga, etc.
- Proper sleep positioning
- Limit caffeine and refined sugars
- Stay hydrated
- Applying heat pads to the affected area
5. Surgical Procedures
Your doctor might suggest surgery depending on your condition if you don’t respond to above mentioned treatment options. Some of the surgical procedures for occipital neuralgia include:
● Occipital Nerve Stimulation
It involves using a device called a neurostimulator that delivers electrical signals to your occipital nerves and blocks pain signaling to the brain.
● Occipital Release Surgery:
In this procedure, your doctor will make a cut in the back of your neck and release the occipital nerve from surrounding tissues that compress it.
● Spinal Cord Stimulation:
It involves placing electrodes between your spinal cord and vertebrae that send electrical impulses to block pain signals.
How Chiropractic Care Can Help People With Occipital Neuralgia in Singapore?
Chiropractic care offers a natural and effective way to manage occipital neuralgia, which results from tight muscles in the neck and pinched nerves.
When the vertebrae in the upper cervical spine go out of alignment, it can compress nearby nerves. Chiropractors use precise spinal adjustments to restore proper spine alignment. It relieves pressure off the nerve, thus reducing nerve irritation that triggers pain.
Further, chiropractic adjustments help decrease swelling and improve blood flow around the affected area. This speeds up healing and boosts nerve function, which can help decrease the pain.
Chiropractors also use massage therapy that eases muscle tension and releases knots, decompressing occipital nerves. Thus, chiropractic care focuses on long-term healing. It not only alleviates symptoms but also addresses the underlying cause and reduces the risk of recurrent episodes.
At Vitality Chiropractic Centre in Singapore, our experts specialize in Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care. Our clinic is the first of its kind in Singapore, focusing on the upper cervical region to address a variety of health issues. We believe that proper spinal alignment is the key to a person’s health and well-being. Our team provides personalized care plans tailored to your individual needs. So what are you waiting for? Contact us right now!Its diagnosis is as simple as taking a blood pressure reading. Usually, your healthcare provider measures your blood pressure during a routine visit. If your blood pressure is raised, your healthcare provider would request more readings for several days. If you have consistently high blood pressure, your doctor is likely to diagnose it as hypertension.
References
- American Association of Neurological Surgeons. (2024, April 30). Occipital neuralgia – AANS. AANS. https://www.aans.org/patients/conditions-treatments/occipital-neuralgia/
- Choi, I., & Jeon, S. R. (2016). Neuralgias of the head: occipital neuralgia. Journal of Korean Medical Science, 31(4), 479. https://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2016.31.4.479
- Djavaherian, D. M., & Guthmiller, K. B. (2023, March 6). Occipital neuralgia. StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538281/
Call 8438 9550 or email help@vitalitychiropracticcentres.com today!
Meet Our Chiropractors Specializing in Occipital Neuralgia Relief
Dr Shaan (Traditional and Complimentary Therapy Qualification) is a Chiropractor from London (UK) who graduated from the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic (UK) as a Doctor of Chiropractic (not medical doctor or dentist). He has completed post-graduate studies and has been serving patients in Singapore since 2015.
He founded Vitality Chiropractic Centres to open the first Upper Cervical clinic in Singapore, and the only practicing Knee Chest Upper Cervical Technique in South East Asia.
He is the Alliance of Chiropractic (AoC) Chairman for Outreach, organising events within Singapore with the People’s Association and other charities. Shaan has served thousands of patients, with experience in patients with headaches, migraines, vertigo, Meniere’s, trigeminal neuralgia, whiplash, IBS and other chronic nervous system problems.
Dr Jessey (黄钰心矫正师) (Traditional and Complimentary Therapy Qualification) is a Chiropractor from Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), graduated from Anglo-European College of Chiropractic (UK) as a Doctor of Chiropractic (not medical doctor or dentist). She has experience serving patients from 2 weeks old to 96 years old prior to moving to Singapore and joining Vitality Chiropractic (活力脊椎矫正中心).
She has completed post-graduate studies and is Singapore’s first female Upper Cervical Chiropractor (上颈椎矫正护理).
Jessey is active in outreach, participating in charitable trips to Cambodia and within Singapore. Jessey has experience helping patients with headaches, migraines, dizziness (眩晕/头晕), Meniere’s (美尼尔氏综合症), slipped disc, anxiety, fibrillations, IBS and other chronic nerve system problems. She also has a special interest in children and younger patients.
If you’ve been struggling with Occipital Neuralgia, call 8438 9550, email help@vitalitychiropracticcentres.com or fill in your information below to book your appointment.
Chiropractic Care for Occipital Neuralgia
Treatment Rates in Singapore
Here are the expected rates for Chiropractic Care for Occipital Neuralgia in Singapore care services at Vitality Chiropractic centres.
Discovery Call
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Jump on a call to discuss your concerns and determine if we are the right fit for you.
Consultation
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During the initial consultation, we will run a physical examination, postural assessment, and nerve system test.
Test Results
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Our chiropractor will explain the findings and test results from the consultation. A customised care plan will then be developed for you.
Single Session
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We will perform a nerve scan and adjustment as needed. Re-examinations and rehab exercises might be implemented.
Written by
Shaan Rai (Chiropractor, Singapore)
Shaan is a British Chiropractor, based in Singapore. He is an Alliance of Chiropractic (AOC) registered Singapore Chiropractor, completing a 5 year course at AECC (UK), attaining his Masters in Chiropractic. He is the Vice President and Chairman for Outreach & Charity for Alliance of Chiropractic (AOC) and is the founder of Vitality Chiropractic Singapore. He developed the NeuroPro method, combining Upper Cervical techniques with Functional Neurology Rehab, with published research coming in 2025.
Dizziness Research in Singapore
Read our case report about our patient with dizziness and hearing loss, and the improvements seen with our care. This was produced by the Australian Spinal Research Foundation, and published in the Asia-Pacific Chiropractic Journal.
Read Our Book
Shaan authored the book, ‘Dealing With Dizziness – Holistic Solutions For Unexplained Chronic Dizziness, Vertigo, and Balance Problems’.
You can find it on Amazon, or available in our Singapore Chiropractic clinic.
FAQS
Chiropractors are trained doctors of Chiropractic. They train exclusively as doctors of Chiropractic, not as medical doctors or dentists.
This is the same as how a Dentist, TCM or PhD graduate are trained as doctors in their field, but are also not medical doctors.
If you have any previous scans, x-rays, MRI’s or other imaging, please bring them to your appointment. We would also recommend bringing a family member or friend if you need support or to discuss finances.
Your initial Consultation will take approximately 1 hour, your Results will take approximately 45 minutes and follow up Appointments will take 20-35 minutes depending on your case.
After Chiropractic adjustments there can occasionally be side effects. The most common feelings after corrections (especially in the beginning) are:
- No changes yet
- Some stiffness in the muscles or light soreness
- Feeling relief
If there are any other symptoms or sensations experienced, please ensure to consult with your Chiropractor.
Absolutely! If you book using our online system you should get an email immediately then a WhatsApp confirmation from our staff.
For follow up appointments you should receive an email 48 hours before your appointment. If you do not, and you would like reminders, please let us know and we will be able to help. If you receive reminders but do not want to, you can also opt out of these emeails.
On any day you receive an adjustment we would advise taking it easy and drinking plenty of water. Give it at least 2 hours before exercising. If you feel tired then listen to your body and get to sleep early. Upon starting care, we will share a guide for you to take home, with a long list of do’s and don’ts, so you can take an active part in your care.
We recommend wearing something comfortable that you can bend in. While you don’t need to wear gym clothes, clothes which you can move in freely will be helpful for any tests or techniques the doctor will need to perform. For women, if you are wearing a dress or skirt we will provide blankets to cover you.
Chiropractic, and any health approach, will not be the answer for every patient and every health concern. Other Chiropractors may use different techniques and methods which may not produce the same results as Upper Cervical Chiropractic.
Our Chiropractors conduct a thorough history, physical assessment, nerve scans and biomechanical x-rays to determine if this is a case they can help.
If we are not the right fit for you, we will do our best to find the right practitioner for you.
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