What does pain in the back of the head mean. Why does the head hurt in the back of the head: a hundred possible diagnoses! How to find out the cause and get rid of a headache in the back of the head? Vessels of the occipital region

Pain in the back of the head, which is accompanied by nausea, is considered the most unpleasant symptom.

When this kind of discomfort appears, the sick person cannot pinpoint exactly where it hurts, because the headache radiates to the neck.

The pain is well felt when turning or tilting the head. In some cases, there may be a strong intensity, as well as dizziness.

The main causes of pain

To understand why it hurts in the back of the head, you need to know the main causes of this condition:

  1. The reason may be hidden in tension that does not go away for a long time, this includes both physical and mental stress.
  2. Frequent stressful situations, various emotional stresses lead to the fact that the back of the head hurts. The problem is more common in women, but the cause can apply to men as well. Headache often begins to appear after 30 years.
  3. The reasons may be hidden in diseases of the cervical region.
  4. With incorrect posture, blowing with drafts, the muscles of the neck begin to thicken and pain appears in the back of the head.
  5. If a headache or dizziness appears at a young age, then the causes may be hidden in vegetative failures and disorders. As a rule, this condition is complemented by throbbing pain.
  6. In old age, the cause is high pressure, in which case the back of the head hurts in the morning. Additional symptoms are possible in the form of heaviness in the head, as well as throbbing pain. This condition can appear not only with an increase in pressure, often the problem occurs when the weather changes or emotional instability.
  7. If earlier there were head injuries, bruises, then the head and the back of the head often hurt.

Often nausea and headache, pain in the back of the head appears during pregnancy. A similar symptom appears more often in the early and late stages, although it can accompany women throughout the entire pregnancy.

As a rule, the reasons are not in diseases or abnormalities, but in a serious restructuring of the body, for normal gestation.

It is not uncommon for women to have migraines during pregnancy, but measures and treatment can only be taken after childbirth.

Despite the relative safety of symptoms, headache and nausea must be entered into the pregnant woman's card without fail. This needs to be said to the doctor at a scheduled examination.

There are several main reasons why the back of the head hurts in a pregnant woman, nausea appears:

  1. Hunger.
  2. Dehydration.
  3. Sleep disturbance.
  4. Constant fatigue.

In order to eliminate such problems, you will need to adjust the daily routine of the pregnant woman, eat right, and actively spend every day, but not bring the body to extreme fatigue.

It is also important to protect the pregnant woman from stressful situations and experiences.

Before using any medicine, even from traditional medicine, it is necessary to discuss the appointment with the doctor. In some cases, even folk remedies can have a negative effect.

Treatment

If a headache appears in the back of the head, then it is first necessary to ventilate the room. To get rid of the symptoms, you need to massage the neck, massage the shoulders.

After that, you need to lie down and relax and calm down as much as possible. These are simple actions that often help and the back of the head no longer hurts.

If the pain in the back of the head and nausea do not go away, then it will be necessary to establish specific causes that could cause this condition.

For treatment, you can use folk remedies and medications. But we must remember that these are symptoms that may indicate serious illness.

Therefore, if a headache in the back of the head appears constantly, does not go away for a long time, and additional dizziness and nausea occur, then you need to consult a doctor.

For treatment, you can use painkillers or anti-inflammatory drugs. When the doctor establishes the exact causes, an individual course of treatment is prescribed, taking into account all the subtleties, features and causes.

Ibuprofen or antispasmodic drugs can be used as an anesthetic.

Often, an acute headache in the back of the head can be stopped in more conservative ways:

  1. Manual therapy.
  2. Medicinal treatment.
  3. Physiotherapy.

Depending on the cause, some can be stopped with the help of physical activity, for example, if you go swimming.

Also, doctors can use surgical treatment when a headache in the back of the head and nausea do not go away for a long time and are quite pronounced.

In this case, the patient does not have the opportunity to move normally, and pain in the back of the head begins to adversely affect other organs.

Folk remedies

If a headache in the back of the head does not appear due to serious deviations, then treatment can be carried out with folk remedies.

The main indications for such treatment are poisoning, emotional stress and other irritating factors, after which it presses in the back of the head.

  1. Hypericum decoction. This remedy will relieve a person of nausea, headache, dizziness will pass. In general, St. John's wort is able to improve the state of stress. It is not recommended to use such a medicine for men, since St. John's wort reduces the level of male hormones. To make a decoction, you need 2 tsp. St. John's wort add a glass of boiling water and leave for 20 minutes. Take before meals 50 ml 3 times a day. The course of treatment takes place over 21 days.
  2. Mint tea. Such a drink has a more sedative effect and is good to drink if nausea occurs. In the presence of a migraine, the drink will not give a positive result. To enhance the effectiveness of the drink, when dizziness and headache appear in the back of the head, valerian root is added. Preparing a drink is easy, enough for 2 tbsp. herbs add 500 ml of boiling water and take with honey. The course of treatment should not be more than 7 days.
  3. Elder. If there is pain in the head at the back of the head, nausea, then it is worth using the color or fruits of elderberry, from which the decoction is made. To create, you need 2 tbsp. elderberry add a glass of boiling water and leave for half an hour. After that, apply the medicine 50 ml 3 times a day before the start of the meal. For a complete recovery, you will need to drink the medicine for 2 or more weeks.
  4. Oregano decoction. A similar plant is often used to treat various diseases, including when it overtakes a headache. To create a medicine, you need 1 tbsp. oregano, add a liter of boiling water and cook for 10 minutes over low heat.

After preparation, take 2 times a day. To treat unpleasant symptoms, you will need to take the medicine for 21 days.

Of course, the use of vegetable fruits, herbs and other ingredients can help with illnesses, but before starting treatment with decoctions and infusions, you need to know the contraindications of each remedy, and even better, consult a specialist so that the pain in the head does not turn into a more complex problem.

To make it clearer, a decoction and infusion of oregano is forbidden for pregnant women to drink, since this plant can provoke an abortion, premature birth.

If St. John's wort is used for treatment, then the male half of the population should be given up on the herb, otherwise there may be a temporary potency.

In addition to using recipes based on fruits and herbs, traditional medicine recommends the use of cold compresses, as well as massage and simple relaxation.

If there are no serious illnesses, and a headache in the back of the head appears due to fatigue, but you just need to relax and bring your diet and your working day back to normal.

Need urgent medical attention

Sometimes there are situations when pain in the head may require emergency care. It is important to understand the basic rules when you need immediate help from doctors:

  1. If the main uncomfortable symptoms do not disappear for a whole day or more, and additional symptoms begin to appear in the form of temperature, general weakness, then you should call an ambulance or, if possible, go to the clinic yourself.
  2. If the discomfort is supplemented by nausea and vomiting, which do not pass for a day or more, then you also need to quickly seek help from doctors.
  3. If, with the symptoms described above, the pressure begins to "jump", then before the visit of the ambulance, you need to use special medications that will reduce the pressure.

It should be remembered that the above symptoms, which continue for a long time, may indicate serious abnormalities.

Therefore, the main treatment is not to stop the main symptoms, but it affects the causes of their appearance.

If all the symptoms do not stop after the use of medicine or relaxation, and also increase with every hour, then every minute can be at stake.

Preventive measures

A person is not able to completely get rid of pain in the head. A similar symptom can be in a different state of the body, but there are some rules and recommendations that will help prevent and reduce the risk of occurrence:

  1. We get rid of stress. You need to protect yourself from the negative impact of the outside world. It is very important to normalize the psychological state, to worry less, to worry. This is reflected not only in the mood, but also in the physical condition and in various diseases. It is the psychological state that can cause various problems in the body.
  2. Strengthening the immune system. It is necessary to constantly monitor the immune system in order to prevent infection of the body with viruses and infections, this will protect against headaches and other sensations. For normal immunity, you need to eat right, include more plant-based fresh foods in the menu, and refuse junk food and food. It is useful from time to time to temper the body, using a contrast shower.
  3. Sports. Physical activity is useful not only for headaches, but also for the whole body. From sports, the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, blood vessels, heart begin to work normally, blood circulates well.
  4. Regular examination. Each person should visit a doctor at least once a year for a routine diagnosis of the body.

This technique allows you to protect yourself from various diseases, and even if they occur, they can be easily cured at an early stage.

Such examination methods allow you to get rid of serious diseases and even malignant tumors.

Only if you monitor your health and be responsive to various sensations, you can forget about headaches and other unpleasant symptoms.

Useful video

It is perhaps easier to cure a headache in the back of the head than to deal with the factors that provoked it. Like it or not, each of us has experienced the discomfort of an acute, dull, pulsating, aching, piercing character at least once in a lifetime. Doctors comment on this condition as follows.

(Video: "Why does the head hurt in the back of the head")

Headache in the back of the head can easily be due to:

Pain in the back of the head is often a companion of a number of ailments. Doctors have identified the most important:


The algorithm of actions directly depends on the symptoms. For women with long hair, we suggest loosening the hairstyle first. Also take a horizontal position and close your eyes. Aroma oils can remove the feeling of a vice on the back of the head. An ideal remedy to combat discomfort is the essential oil of lemon or coniferous trees. Smells quickly relieve spasms, soothe the nervous system and relax. With frequent headaches at work, we recommend placing cotton wool or sticks soaked in aroma oils of lemon and coniferous on the desktop.

If a person vomits, then wash him with cold water, let him suck on a slice of lemon, drink mineral water. In case of persistent vomiting and dizziness, call an ambulance.

If the pain in the back of the head goes away without the above symptoms and is quite rare for you, then wait a while with taking the pill. Self-massage helps a lot. Manual therapy is contraindicated only in hypertension. In other cases, it is effective.

What to do? Warm up your hands first. Then begin circular movements behind the auricles clockwise and counterclockwise 3 times.

Tilt your head or even put it on the table. Gently massage the base of the neck, where it meets the head, with your fingertips. You can apply light pressure, enter clockwise and in the opposite direction. Rubbing the surface of the back of the head helps well. As a rule, after such a self-massage, even without a pill, it becomes easier.

A shower at room temperature with the direction of jets of water on the back of the head helps many. Massaging streams relax the skin, remove spasm and improve blood circulation. It is also not superfluous to drink a glass of water with lemon. Acid will dilute too thick blood, making it easier for it to move through the vessels, and moisture will replenish the water balance.

Modern methods of treatment for pain in the back of the head and nausea


With chronic discomfort in the back of the head, along with nausea, dizziness and vomiting, the patient makes an appointment with:

  • vertebrologist (specialist in diseases of the spine);
  • neurologist (to determine the activity of the central and peripheral nervous system);
  • orthopedist or surgeon in case of suspected injuries, neoplasms of bone, connective, cartilage tissue.

After the diagnosis and consultation of specialists, they begin to correct the malaise:

  1. Attributed to standard painkillers Analgin and Citramon.
  2. Courses of massage and self-massage, acupuncture.
  3. Hydromassage sessions, contrast and Charcot shower.
  4. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics if the ailment is caused by an infection or inflammation.
  5. In case of intoxication, in addition to analgesics, for pain in the back of the head, detox therapy is prescribed from activated charcoal, Enterosgel .

Also indispensable for chronic headaches in the back of the head are physiotherapy exercises and various types of massage. They relax spasmodic areas of the skin and skeletal muscles, restore blood circulation and alleviate the human condition. For a stable result, at least 5 procedures are required.

If discomfort in this part of the head appears regularly and is provoked by excitability, a strong reaction to stress, then relaxing techniques are indicated. For example, yoga, meditation and oriental breathing practices.

Preventive measures

There are no special or specific recommendations from neurologists. All the same classic ones: daily routine, physical activity, drink plenty of water a day and do not eat unhealthy food. And every day to repeat the rule of Cat Leopold: "Guys, let's live together." Then stress and neuroses will not interfere with you.

And nausea can signal many causes that cause it. You need to know them in order to get rid of this unpleasant problem.

Possible Causes of Neck Pain and Nausea

With localization in the back of the head, aggravated by nausea, it can be different - strong, dull, pressing, throbbing, aching. It can be both long-term and appear intermittently. It depends on many reasons, as well as the nature and course of the diseases that cause such pain.

Possible reasons include:

  • increase in intracranial pressure;
  • hypertension;
  • encephalopathy;
  • concussion.

Manifestations of diseases with pain in the back of the head and nausea

Increased intracranial pressure

Headache in this case, it can be spilled over the entire surface, but it can also be located in a certain area, including on the back of the head. The pain in this case is severe, arching. The victim feels nausea, he may experience vomiting, which does not bring relief. In addition to pain in the back of the head, the patient's eyes may hurt, bright light interferes with him, and loud sounds irritate him, which exacerbate the pain. The victim wants to darken the room in which he is.

Hypertension

At high pressure, as a rule, the patient experiences a headache of different localization. The pain in the back of the head is no exception, in which nausea can sometimes be present. Especially often pain in the back of the head occurs in the morning after waking up.

Encephalopathy

Symptoms such as headache pain in the back of the head, accompanied by nausea, vomiting and visual disturbances, are observed in severe cases of encephalopathy with significant brain damage, edema, and microcirculation disorders. These manifestations are accompanied by general anxiety, dizziness, loss of balance, numbness of the lips, fingertips, tongue, and sometimes loss of consciousness.

Cervical osteochondrosis

Its causes are the pathology of the intervertebral discs. The patient experiences pain of an almost constant nature in the neck and neck area. Associated symptoms include nausea and dizziness. Also, patients may have reduced hearing, tinnitus, impaired coordination of movements, “double vision” in the eyes. Increased pain may occur during head movements. These symptoms are characteristic of vertebrobasilar syndrome, provoked by osteochondrosis. Sometimes dizziness is so strong that the victim seems to rotate objects in the room before his eyes.

concussion

This condition, related to traumatic brain injury, is characterized by a short-term loss of consciousness. After the patient wakes up, he feels a headache, nausea, sweating, poor sleep, rapid breathing. Clinical manifestations of concussion depend on age factors. Pulsating headaches in the back of the head are typical for elderly patients, especially those suffering from hypertension.

Headache in the back of the head (at the back of the head) is quite common for people. This unpleasant symptomatology can either be present for years or be an episodic phenomenon. But is it really a trifle that you should not even pay attention to? Many people think so, therefore, out of habit, they stop the pain with a citramone tablet, only causing addiction to the drug. But after all, the human body sends such an important signal as pain in the back of the head for a reason, you need to understand that under such a harmless, at first glance, manifestation, a serious pathology can be hidden. Pain is always an unfavorable sign, so you should not let the process take its course or engage in useless and sometimes dangerous self-treatment.

The cause of pain in the back of the head and the features of its manifestations in various pathologies

Acute headache cannot be causeless. The causes of this syndrome lie in diseases of the spine, neurological and vascular pathologies. Accordingly, with each of the pathologies, the occipital headache will have its own characteristics.

Single episodes of headache may not always be a manifestation of diseases. A similar symptom can develop against the background of a long uncomfortable posture, hunger, stress, due to smoking, the use of products with chemical additives and caffeine.

Therefore, one-time episodes should not cause excitement, but in the presence of prolonged constant pain, you should consult a doctor.

Cervical osteochondrosis

Cervical osteochondrosis is one of the most common causes of neck pain. The disease is manifested by the destruction of the intervertebral discs in the cervical spine. Pain manifestations in cervical osteochondrosis are permanent and, in addition to the back of the head, can be localized in the temporal region and neck. When tilting the head and movement, pain manifestations intensify.

With the development of vertebrobasilar syndrome, pain in the occipital region is combined with the appearance of tinnitus, hearing loss, vomiting, nausea, impaired coordination, and involuntary contraction of the diaphragm. A person is disturbed by a violation of visual abilities - double vision, fog, a veil before the eyes. Quite often, severe dizziness occurs, and in the event of a tilt or sudden turn of the head, a person may lose balance, cannot move, but remains conscious.

Also, osteochondrosis is characterized by cervical migraine, when a pain attack is projected on the left or right side of the occiput, spreading to the superciliary and temporal regions. Along with this, noise discomfort and dizziness occur, episodes of darkening in the eyes are possible.

cervical spondylosis

With cervical spondylosis, the connective tissue of the vertebral ligaments is reborn, it becomes bone. Bone growths form on the vertebrae, which impede the mobility of the neck and fetter any head turns.

Pain in the back of the head is characterized by spreading to the eyes and ears and constancy. Tilts and turns of the head provoke severe pain, but pain persists even in a stationary state.

Most often, sleep is disturbed. This disease is typical for people with the presence of features of the labor process, inactivity and a pronounced forced position during the shift, it is also typical for the elderly.

Hypertonic disease

Hypertensive attacks are accompanied by a feeling of bursting pain in the back of the head with pulsation, quite often they occur at the time of awakening. Occipital pains are accompanied by tachycardia and general weakness. The pain is more noticeable when the head is tilted. After sudden vomiting, the pain in the occipital region is relieved.

Increased intracranial pressure

Constant pain of a pressing nature can occur throughout the head or be localized in the occipital region. The pain has a bursting, pressing character, exposure to sharp sounds and bright light increases the intensity of the pain. Characterized by the development of vomiting, which does not alleviate the condition. Pain in the back of the head can be accompanied by pain in the eyeballs, heaviness in the head.

cervical myositis

With cervical myositis, inflammation of the cervical muscles occurs. The cause of such a disease may be hypothermia, trauma or an uncomfortable position. The pain develops with movements of the head, starting from the neck, and moves to the back of the head, to the interscapular and shoulder region. Pain is asymmetric.

Myogelosis of the cervical spine

Myogelosis is characterized by a violation of blood circulation in the muscles, which provokes the development of painful seals in the cervical region. There is an occipital pain in the head, which is accompanied by dizziness, stiffness of the muscle tissue of the neck and shoulders.

Neuralgia of the occipital nerve

Inflammation of the occipital nerve is often a concomitant manifestation in osteochondrosis and other diseases of the cervical spine. Hypothermia can cause the development of neuralgia of any type. The pain in the occiput is very severe, shooting, burning, and paroxysmal.

Further, the pain begins to spread to the neck, back, lower jaw and ears. Any change in the position of the head or coughing leads to a sharp increase in pain. In the periods between attacks, the pain is pressing. With a prolonged course of the disease, excessive sensitivity of the skin of the head in the back of the head occurs.

Vascular pain

With a spasm of the arteries that are located inside or on the surface of the skull, throbbing pains appear that emanate from the occipital region and then spread to the forehead. In the process of movement, the pain syndrome becomes more intense, at rest it weakens.

Pain, which is associated with difficulty in the outflow of venous blood, is bursting and dull in nature, accompanied by a feeling of heaviness in the head. Such pain begins in the back of the head, and then spreads throughout the head. When coughing, lowering the head and lying down, the pain syndrome intensifies. Quite often, such pains occur in the morning and are accompanied by swelling of the eyelids.

Pain in the back of the head during exercise

Tension pain. It is based on vascular pathology - increased fragility or narrowing of the lumen of the vessels. There are such pains in the process of hard physical labor, when performing exercises with a load.

In the frontal and occipital parts of the head there is a feeling of heaviness, tingling, goosebumps. In some cases, a person feels squeezing the head with a non-existent hat. The pain syndrome has a moderate intensity and is not accompanied by vomiting and nausea.

Neck pain during orgasm

Such pain is of vascular origin, since orgasm is accompanied by an increase in pressure. This pain occurs in people with vegetative-vascular dystonia.

Occupational pain

Being in a forced position during work, when the neck muscles are under constant tension, leads to the development of pain in the back of the head. This disease is typical for seamstresses, watchmakers, jewelers, programmers, drivers. The pain is dull and prolonged, relieved by movements that knead the neck. Also, rubbing the back of the head and neck helps to reduce pain.

malocclusion

Malocclusion can provoke dull pain in the back of the head, which spreads to the parietal region and ear, can be localized in one of the sides or below. The pain occurs during the day and intensifies in the evening.

Pain during stress

Stress pains are typical for women in the first place. They have a different duration and nature, the normalization of the psychological state leads to a decrease in pain.

Treatment of pain in the occipital region of the head

Treatment should be preceded by a competent diagnosis. In the presence of severe pain in the back of the head, the therapist can refer the patient to more specialized specialists. In most cases, the treatment of the underlying pathology leads to the disappearance of pain in the back of the head.

Such serious diseases as increased intracranial pressure and arterial hypertension should be eliminated with the help of emergency etiotropic therapy. In the case of diagnosing serious diseases that are not life-threatening, but progress rapidly, it is necessary to prescribe complex therapy, which includes:

    Massage. Many people notice that even with the usual rubbing of the back of the head, the severity of pain decreases. A targeted massage of a muscle group does wonders. However, such treatment should be carried out only by real professionals. It must be remembered that with spondylosis and hypertension, massage is prohibited.

    Physiotherapy. A special set of exercises allows you to unload the ligaments and muscles of the neck, improving blood circulation. This technique has no contraindications, the main thing is to correctly perform all the exercises.

    Physiotherapy treatment (electrophoresis, ultrasound treatment, magnetotherapy) helps well with vascular pain, occipital nerve neuralgia, increased intracranial pressure, osteochondrosis, myogelosis, spondylosis.

    Manual therapy. A special therapeutic technique that does not apply to massage. It helps well with pain in the back of the head due to stress, occupational pain, neuralgia of the occipital nerve, myogelosis, cervical osteochondrosis.

    Acupuncture. The technique is justified in the presence of neuralgia of the occipital nerve, stress, cervical osteochondrosis and consists in a point effect on biologically active areas of the skin.

    Cranial osteopathy is suitable for the correction of cervical osteochondrosis.

    Normalization of the regimen is quite often the solution to the problem without additional treatment. This recommendation is suitable for any type of pathology and is fundamental to the success of therapy.

Headache in the back of the head or, more simply, the back of the head often worries people. This unpleasant symptomatology can only sometimes overcome a person, and can be present for years. Is it a trifle that you should not pay attention to? Many believe that yes, and for the hundredth time they swallow the usual Citramon tablet, causing addiction to this drug and nothing more. But the body never sends us false signals, and pain in the back of the head can be a symptom of a particular pathological process. Pain is always an unfavorable sign, so you should not let go of the situation with pain discomfort in the back of your head and engage in useless self-treatment.

Causes of pain in the back of the head and features of its manifestation in various pathologies

Acute headache is not unreasonable. The causes of a headache in the back of the head often lie in vascular, neurological pathology and diseases of the spine. According to this or that pathology, occipital headache has its own characteristics, which, as a rule, the patient can clearly state to the doctor.

Isolated cases of headache are not necessarily associated with the disease. Such a painful manifestation can be triggered by a long stay in a forced or uncomfortable position, stress, hunger, sleeping on a hard surface, as well as due to smoking, high consumption of caffeine, products with chemical additives, etc.

Therefore, one-time cases of such a pain syndrome should not cause unrest, but long-term and often recurring symptoms, of course, are a reason to visit a doctor.

Cervical osteochondrosis

Cervical osteochondrosis is one of the common causes of headaches in the back of the head. The disease is characterized by destruction of the intervertebral discs of the cervical vertebrae. The pain syndrome in cervical osteochondrosis is purely permanent and, in addition to the back of the head, is localized in the neck and temporal region. With movements and tilts of the head, pain manifestations become stronger.

With the development of vertebrobasilar syndrome, occipital pains are combined with tinnitus and hearing loss, nausea and vomiting, involuntary contractions of the diaphragm, and coordination disorders are observed (see,). A person is disturbed by visual disturbances - a veil, fog and double vision. Severe dizziness often occurs, and when tilting or suddenly turning the head, a person may fall, losing the ability to move for a while, but remains conscious.

For osteochondrosis, cervical migraine is also characteristic, the pain attack of which comes on suddenly and is projected on the right or left side of the back of the head, spreading to the temporal and superciliary region. At the same time, there is dizziness with noise discomfort in the ears, as well as an episode of darkening in the eyes.

cervical spondylosis

With cervical spondylosis, the connective tissue of the vertebral ligaments degenerates into bone. Bone growths appear on the vertebrae, significantly impairing the mobility of the neck, causing stiffness with any turn of the head.

Pain in the occipital region is characterized by constancy and spread to the ears and eyes. Turns, as well as tilts of the head, cause increased pain, but even when the head is stationary, the pain syndrome persists.

As a rule, sleep is disturbed. The disease is most typical for people with peculiarities of the labor process, expressed in a forced position of the body and inactivity during the shift, as well as for elderly patients.

Hypertonic disease

A hypertensive attack is accompanied by the occurrence of arching pains in the occipital segment of the head with pulsation, which often begin already at the moment of awakening. Occipital pain is accompanied by dizziness and a feeling of a "heavy" head, general weakness and palpitations may be observed. The pain becomes more noticeable when the head is tilted. Such occipital pain becomes less intense after sudden vomiting.

Increased intracranial pressure

A constant pressing headache corresponding to this pathology can be felt on the entire head or localized only in the back of the head. The nature of the pain is pressing and arching, exposure to bright light and loud sounds sharply increases the intensity of the pain syndrome. Characterized by vomiting, which does not relieve pain. A feeling of heaviness in the head, as well as pain in the eyeballs, joins the occipital pain.

cervical myositis

When there is inflammation of the muscles of the neck. The cause may be hypothermia, an uncomfortable position of the neck and trauma. The pain occurs when the head moves and starts from the neck, then spreads to the back of the head, shoulder and interscapular region. Pain is asymmetric.

Myogelosis of the cervical spine

Myogelosis of the cervical spine is characterized by a violation of muscle circulation, which leads to the appearance of painful seals in the neck. There is an occipital headache, which is accompanied by obvious dizziness, as well as stiffness of the muscle tissue of the shoulders and neck.

Neuralgia of the occipital nerve

Neuralgia or inflammation of the occipital often accompanies osteochondrosis and other diseases of the cervical spine. Hypothermia can be the cause of this type of neuralgia. The pains in the back of the head are very severe, even burning and shooting, and are characterized by a paroxysmal course.

Then the pain spreads to the neck, ears, and also the lower jaw and back. Any changes in the position of the head, as well as coughing, lead to a sharp increase in headache. In the interictal period, there is a pressing pain in the occipital region of the head. With a long course of the disease, excessive sensitivity of the scalp on the back of the head occurs.

Vascular pain

With spasm of the arteries located on the surface or inside the skull, there are throbbing pains that begin in the back of the head and then quickly spread to the forehead. When moving, the pain syndrome becomes more intense, and at rest it decreases.

Pain associated with difficulty in the outflow of venous blood from the head is dull and bursting in nature and is accompanied by a feeling of heaviness in the head. The pain begins in the back of the head, and then "spreads" throughout the head. When lowering the head, coughing, lying down, it intensifies. Often such pains begin already in the morning and are accompanied by swelling of the lower eyelids.

Pain in the back of the head during exercise

Another name for the syndrome is tension pain. Pain is based on vascular pathology, such as narrowing of the lumen or increased fragility of the walls of blood vessels. There are pains during heavy physical labor, when performing certain physical exercises with a high load.

In the occipital and frontal parts of the head there is a constant feeling of heaviness, "" and tingling. Sometimes a person feels a kind of squeezing of the head with a non-existent rope or hat. Pain of moderate intensity, not accompanied by symptoms of nausea and vomiting.

Neck pain during orgasm

This pain is of vascular origin, since orgasm is accompanied by a high increase in pressure. This pain is experienced by people suffering from vegetative-vascular dystonia.

Occupational pain

Being in a forced position of the body during a work shift, accompanied by tension in the neck muscles, leads to the development of sharp headaches in the back of the head. This syndrome affects drivers, programmers, jewelers, watchmakers, seamstresses, etc. The pains are prolonged, have a dull character and decrease with head movements kneading the neck. Rubbing the cervical region and the back of the head also helps to reduce the severity of pain.

malocclusion

Malocclusion can provoke dull pains in the back of the head, which spread to the ear and parietal region, it can be localized from below or in one of the sides. The pain begins in the daytime and gradually increases in the evening.

Pain during stress

Stress pains are most typical for women. Their nature and duration are different, the normalization of the psychological state leads to the disappearance of pain manifestations in the back of the head.

Treatment of pain in the back of the head

Treatment should be preceded by a full diagnosis and clarification of its causes. In the presence of a severe headache in the back of the head, treatment is possible after contacting a therapist who will conduct an initial diagnosis and refer you to narrow specialists. As a rule, taking the underlying disease under control leads to the leveling of unpleasant symptoms, including a headache in the back of the head.

Such serious pathologies as arterial hypertension and increased intracranial pressure require the use of emergency etiotropic therapy. When diagnosing diseases that do not directly threaten the patient's life, but are constantly progressing, a set of therapeutic measures is prescribed, among which the following methods are most common:

  • Massage. Many have noticed that even simple rubbing of the back of the head and neck helps to significantly reduce the severity of pain. A targeted massage of certain muscle groups with a pre-known diagnosis really works wonders. But only professionals should be entrusted with this responsible business. Massage is prescribed in courses that can be repeated in a month or two. You can lightly rub the tense parts of the head and neck on your own, while assuming a comfortable body position. With hypertension and spondylosis, massage is prohibited.
  • Physiotherapy. Specially selected exercises allow you to relieve tense muscles and ligaments of the neck and spine as a whole, thereby improving the movement of blood through the vessels. This technique has no contraindications, the main thing is the correct execution of the exercises.
  • Physiotherapy treatment (, ultrasound or laser treatment,) helps well with spondylosis, myogelosis, osteochondrosis, increased intracranial pressure, occipital neuralgia, vascular pain.
  • Manual therapy. This is a special therapeutic technique that is not related to massage, although it is performed with the help of a doctor's hands. It helps with pain in the back of the head, provoked by cervical osteochondrosis, myogelosis, neuralgia of the occipital nerve, with occupational and stress pain.
  • Acupuncture. The technique is justified in case of occipital nerve neuralgia, cervical osteochondrosis, stress and consists in a point effect on biologically active zones on the skin surface.
  • Cranial osteopathy has proven itself for the correction of cervical osteochondrosis.
  • Normalization of the mode of wakefulness and rest, a healthy lifestyle often solve the problem of occipital headache without treatment. This recommendation is common to all pathologies and is of fundamental importance in the success of the treatment.