Any pain in the back of the head, prolonged, sudden, severe, makes a person uncomfortable. The causes of this phenomenon must be sought in pathologies associated with important body systems. The back of the head hurts both in young people and in the older generation. To eliminate discomfort, it is necessary to establish the cause and choose an effective treatment. This is described in the article.
Reasons
The back of the head hurts due to illnesses and lifestyle habits. Common causes that do not depend on chronic ailments include the following factors:
- Sedentary work. People who spend a long time in the same position develop severe pain. Many do not maintain the correct posture, which loads the neck. Often such ailments appear in drivers, programmers, accountants.
- Stress, nervous tension, depression, neuroses. Stress headaches usually appear in people over 30 years of age. The back of the head hurts more in women than in men.
- Strong physical activity leading toto muscle tension. It comes from hard work and also from sports.
- Great mental stress. The back of the head often hurts in schoolchildren and students during exams. Discomfort also manifests itself among knowledge workers, for example, during the preparation of an important project.
- Violation of the diet, the inclusion of trans fats in the diet, muffins.
- Drinking alcohol in large quantities, as well as smoking, drug addiction.
- Change of residence. With a sharp change in climate, the body is restructured, there is a metabolic disorder, which leads to discomfort.
If the back of the head hurts, what kind of pressure is this? This is usually caused by hypertension. Often the back of the head hurts with a cold. In women, pain appears due to an uncomfortable hairstyle, heavy hair, collected in a bun at the back of the head. Discomfort appears as a consequence of injury. For example, the back of the head usually hurts after a blow. For any reason, timely treatment is necessary to prevent deterioration.
Where does it feel?
How does pain manifest itself? Often people have a pulsation, pressing sensations, backache of the head and neck. Discomfort occurs not only at the back of the head, but can also move to other parts:
- temporal;
- frontal, supraocular arches;
- jaw;
- upper back;
- butt neck;
- face skin, ears.
Shootings appear on the left and right side of the head, pain can also be in the eyeballs. Discomfortdiffers depending on the type of disease.
Myogelosis
Impaired blood circulation in the muscles of the neck leads to seals. With this ailment, muscle stiffness, occipital pain, discomfort in the shoulders, dizziness appear.
Myogelosis develops with incorrect posture, uncomfortable posture when sitting. Often, an ailment occurs due to a person being in a draft. In this case, the back of the head usually hurts when turning the head.
Myositis
Discomfort occurs due to inflammation of the neck muscles. With a turn, a tilt of the head, the pain becomes stronger. At the same time, it occurs even between the shoulder blades, in the shoulder girdle.
Unpleasant sensations are present only in one part of the head, left or right. The causes of cervical myositis include hypothermia, sedentary work. Specialists identify the disease after injuries of the neck, upper back.
Neuralgia
With this disease, many people have a headache every day. The pain is usually paroxysmal. With a tilt, turn of the head, a backache is felt in the neck, lower jaw and upper back.
People feel severe pain, burning sensation in the back of the head, usually try to move less. Often with neuralgia, even the scalp is difficult to touch. Pain occurs when sneezing, coughing. Along with this, osteochondrosis, arthrosis of the intervertebral cartilage may develop.
Migraine
Sharp pain can be on the back of the head, temple, superciliary arches. Other unpleasant symptoms include:
- cut;
- blackout eyes;
- tinnitus;
- hearing loss;
- dizziness;
- disorientation.
Migraine develops from the impact of the cartilaginous tissue of the spinal column on the artery. This is taken into account when making a diagnosis: with pressure on the artery in the first cervical vertebra, the pain increases.
Cervical spondylosis
This disease appears when the connective tissue degenerates into bone in the discs of the spine. If left untreated, the disease develops, due to which bone growths lead to stiff head movements.
In addition to pain in the back of the head, pain appears in the shoulders, neck. Discomfort occurs when tilting, turning the head. It does not disappear in a static position. Patients suffer from insomnia. The disease is often observed in people with a sedentary lifestyle, as well as after 50 years.
Osteochondrosis
Does the right side of the back of the head or the left, neck, temporal part constantly hurt? This may indicate cervical osteochondrosis. Even with the disease, additional symptoms may appear:
- nausea;
- dizziness;
- impaired coordination;
- memory deterioration;
- dysgraphia;
- vision and hearing loss.
With a sharp tilting of the head back, a person may fall and lose the function of movement for a certain period. Osteochondrosis often appears with migraine. Shooting pain is added to these symptoms.
Hypertension
If the back of the head hurts, what is the pressure? His jumps lead to throbbing pain. Patients feelbursting, heaviness of the head. This appears at high pressure.
Hypertension causes dizziness, nausea, and palpitations. The pain appears in the morning. Relief comes unexpectedly after vomiting.
Vascular stenosis
Acute pain appears due to arterial spasm. Symptoms are observed during movement and are less pronounced during rest. The reason is heavy loads. People feel "goosebumps" on the back of their heads. With vasoconstriction, throbbing pain is observed, which can be from the back of the head to the forehead.
With the appearance of dull pains, venous outflow from the head becomes more difficult. Sensations increase when lowering the head, coughing. Vascular pain occurs with physical overexertion.
Increased intracranial pressure
Pressing pain may be from intracranial pressure. There may be nausea, eye pain. Discomfort increases with bright lights, loud sounds.
The cause may be an incorrectly formed bite in a child, which persists until adulthood. Dull pains extended to the ears, crown. In the evening they get stronger. The orthodontist is engaged in the correction of the bite.
What to do if the back of the head hurts? First you need to see a doctor who will prescribe the appropriate treatment. Examination, computed tomography, X-ray, testing allow you to make a diagnosis. Only then are appropriate treatment measures determined.
Medicines
You can remove stressful pains after undergoing a course of therapy that restores nervous balance. ATin especially difficult situations, the doctor prescribes antidepressants, tranquilizers. But it is important to eliminate the cause of stress - to move to another job, to improve relations with relatives.
If the pain is manifested by hypertension, doctors advise taking drugs that can normalize blood pressure. With vascular stenosis, it is desirable to take statins, vasodilators. Pain medications may be prescribed. If the back of the head hurts, the tablets should be taken after consulting a doctor. "Analgin", "Baralgin", "Citramon" should be taken only with a single pain. Means have an analgesic effect, do not relieve the source of pain.
Physiotherapy
If the back of the head hurts, treatment can be done with physiotherapy. They are used for neuralgia, spondylosis, myogelosis, osteochondrosis, vasoconstriction. Physiotherapy consists of:
- ultrasound;
- laser therapy;
- electrophoresis;
- magnetotherapy.
The number of procedures is determined by the course of the disease, the characteristics of the patient. Before performing sessions, you should consult with a specialist.
Massage and manual therapy
These methods are effective in cervical osteochondrosis, stress, myogelosis, neuralgia. The course may include 5 sessions or more. It is preferable to perform the procedure once every 2-3 months. Although only a specialist is able to determine which points can be affected for relief, self-massage can still be done independently: rub the neck,nape.
Manual therapy is preferable to be carried out by a specialist who will eliminate acute symptoms, restore the condition in a few procedures. During sessions, anti-inflammatory ointments and creams can be used if prescribed by a doctor. You should not massage if the back of the head hurts due to hypertension or spondylosis, as well as if there is a high temperature or inflammation is found. If the massage brings discomfort, it is necessary to end the procedure.
Therapeutic exercise
To unload the muscles of the neck, which lead to tension, it is advisable to carry out a set of therapeutic exercises. When it affects the ligamentous apparatus of the neck, the muscles of the shoulder girdle. Types of exercise are best used on the advice of a doctor.
If after the procedures there is a deterioration in the condition, discomfort is noted, then it is necessary to reduce the load. If necessary, choose another complex or cancel classes.
Traditional medicine
The use of effective remedies must be done with drug treatment. It is important to observe the basic principle - do no harm. Improve the condition will allow airing, applying a hot compress to the back of the head. If intracranial pressure appears during pain, then you should rest in a dark room. The following funds are in demand:
- Compresses. You need to chop the onion, grate the horseradish, wrap them with gauze and can be applied to the back of the head. It relieves pain and fatigue. They relieve discomfort for a certain period of a cabbage or grape leaf, which must be applied toneck. If a cervical migraine is detected, lemon peel is applied. It must be kneaded and applied to the back of the head.
- Soothing teas. They have primrose, linden, meadowsweet, sage, mint, lemon balm. Apply only 1 plant or mixture. Useful green tea with ginger. This drink restores blood pressure, has an antioxidant effect.
- Aromatherapy. It is effective for stress, osteochondrosis, overwork. Esters of fir, green tea, mint are used. It is necessary to drip a few drops on a sachet and distribute the pads around the room. The procedure must be performed 1 time per day.
Prevention
In order to avoid headaches on the back of the head, it is necessary to correct the lifestyle. If he alth is deteriorating from sedentary work, which cannot be changed, a person needs to exercise every 2-3 hours. There will be enough turns, tilts of the head, warm-up of the shoulder girdle. Activities improve blood circulation, do not allow stagnation in the muscles.
With frequent headaches, alcohol and smoking should be excluded. Do not drink chocolate, soda, coffee. The menu should include oily sea fish. It contains Omega-3 acids, which strengthen blood vessels and prevent inflammation.
When beriberi, doctors advise taking vitamin-mineral complexes. Vitamins from natural products are perfectly absorbed, so you need a balanced diet.
If there is regular physical activity, then a person will be able to eliminate headaches. The main thing is that they are feasible. Hiking, cycling, playing tennis are useful. Swimming is effective. In the pool, not only do exercises to strengthen the muscles of the neck, but also eliminate stress, the negative aspects of the working day.
Recommendations
There are some simple tips that can improve a person's condition:
- If even small passing pains appear, it is necessary to strengthen he alth control: do not get cold, do not be in drafts, do gymnastics in the morning, walk every day in the fresh air.
- When working at a computer, you need to take breaks for 10-15 minutes every hour, get up, warm up. Movement helps prevent muscle stiffness and blood stasis. The height of the chair should be adjusted so that you look directly at the monitor.
- If you have hypertension, you need to measure your blood pressure 2-3 times a day. It should not be allowed to rise to elevated numbers, but antihypertensive drugs should be taken only with the appointment of a specialist.
- It is important to avoid stress and try to take everything calmly. Sedatives are useful, but before choosing them, you should consult a doctor.
- Useful orthopedic pillow. Sleeping on such a product relaxes the muscles at the back of the head.
Thus, the back of the head can hurt for various reasons. It is necessary to be more attentive to your he alth and treat the ailments that lead to this condition in a timely manner.
