Why would occipital nerves be inflamed?
Why would occipital nerves be inflamed?
Occipital neuralgia happens when there’s pressure or irritation to your occipital nerves, maybe because of an injury, tight muscles that entrap the nerves, or inflammation. Many times, doctors can’t find a cause for it. Some medical conditions are linked to it, including: Trauma to the back of the head.
Why is my occipital bone sore and swollen?
Causes of swelling. Share on Pinterest Bacterial infections, psoriasis, and ringworm can cause swelling of the occipital lymph nodes. A variety of skin infections can affect the scalp, which can cause the occipital lymph nodes to swell. In rare cases, the swelling of these lymph nodes can be a sign of cancer.
What are the symptoms of occipital neuralgia?
Symptoms of occipital neuralgia include continuous aching, burning and throbbing, with intermittent shocking or shooting pain that generally starts at the base of the head and goes to the scalp on one or both sides of the head. Patients often have pain behind the eye of the affected side of the head.
What mimics occipital neuralgia?
Tension-type headache, which is much more common, occasionally mimics the pain of occipital neuralgia.
How does occipital neuralgia start?
What causes occipital neuralgia? Occipital neuralgia may occur spontaneously, or as the result of a pinched nerve root in the neck (from arthritis, for example), or because of prior injury or surgery to the scalp or skull. Sometimes “tight” muscles at the back of the head can entrap the nerves.
What is occipital lymphadenopathy?
Occipital lymphadenopathy. Occipital nodes drain the posterior scalp. These nodes are palpable in 5% of healthy children. Common etiologies of occipital lymphadenopathy include tinea capitis, seborrheic dermatitis, insect bites, orbital cellulitis, and pediculosis. Viral etiologies include rubella and roseola infantum.
How do you treat swollen occipital lymph nodes?
If your swollen lymph nodes are tender or painful, you might get some relief by doing the following:
- Apply a warm compress. Apply a warm, wet compress, such as a washcloth dipped in hot water and wrung out, to the affected area.
- Take an over-the-counter pain reliever.
- Get adequate rest.
Why do suboccipital muscles get tight?
The suboccipital muscles commonly become tense and tender due to factors such as eye strain, wearing new eyeglasses, poor ergonomics at a computer workstation, grinding the teeth, slouching posture, and trauma (such as a whiplash injury).
How do you treat Suboccipital muscle tension?
When pushing on the suboccipital muscles, it may increase the intensity of eye pain. Suboccipital headaches are improved with over-the-counter NSAIDs, ice, stretching, therapy, electric, ultrasound, and cold laser treatments. Goals of treatment are to decrease muscle spasms of the suboccipital muscles and trapezius.
