Headaches in Back of Head

Some Causes Are Obvious

The odd thing about headaches is that although everyone probably has several of them throughout the work of a year, they are of the least understood illnesses on earth. In fact, headaches can be symptomatic of so plenty of underlying diseases or conditions that it is often difficult to pinpoint the actual cause. There's even times when a doctor will shake his or her head in dismay & say "Take an aspirin & call me in the morning in case you arenâ??t feeling better."

May Be Difficult to Evaluate

The reality is that sometimes the reason for headaches canâ??t be diagnosed. However, there's positive broad classifications of headaches that are symptomatic of something which can basically be discovered. For example, in case you have a chilled or sinus infection as well as a headache near your brow or over your temples, it would be a nice assumption that you have a sinus headache. Or in case you wake up in the morning after a night of heavy drinking with a pounding headache, you know itâ??s a common symptom of a hangover.

Headaches in back of the head, however, are a small more difficult to evaluate. Most often they are ascribed to being stress or tension related & therefore labelled as a â??tension headache.â?? These can be brought on from tension in the upper muscles of the back & shoulders (thus the name tension headache) & are often relieved when those muscles are relaxed therapeutically. A tension headache can be relieved with OTC painkillers such as aspirin, acetaminophen, naproxen or ibuprofen.

Painkillers a Temporary Fix

Sitting for Long Periods

But relief from tension headaches in back of head with painkillers is only temporary so it becomes necessary to discover a way to relax the muscles & keep them relaxed. Some people find that muscle relaxants are effective, but again that is only a â??band-aidâ?? fix. Other people find relief by taking a hot bath or shower, while others use a heating pad or a get a massage to relax the muscles. Other people find that guided imagery relaxation meditations are beneficial while some individuals do a series of yoga stretches to relieve tension.

Individuals who sit long hours at a table, in front of a computer or driving in a vehicle are more liable to tension headaches because that muscle group tightens up & causes pressure on the base of the cranium & upper backbone. It is suggested that in case you suspect that this is the reason for your headaches in back of head that you cease periodically throughout the day to stretch & work those muscles a bit to loosen them up.

Occipital Neuralgia

While any time you are forced to tighten the muscles in the back of your shoulders, upper back & neck can bring on headaches in back of head, sometimes they are caused by other, more difficult to diagnose conditions. of the most common causes of this type of headache that is not related to tension is Occipital Neuralgia which is caused by trauma or irritation of the occipital nerve. Perhaps the best way to exactly diagnose this Occipital Neuralgia is for the doctor to inject a local anesthetic to see if freezing the nerve offers relief. Doctors will often prescribe Gabapentin which is effective in treating neuropathic pain.