Everyone has experienced a headache at least once in their life. It can be localized in different places, have different intensity or be a symptom of a disease. Pain in the back of the head is the most common. What are its causes, symptoms? What to do if you feel pain?
Causes of severe pain
Discomfort, which appeared suddenly and is of great intensity, may indicate the presence of acute inflammatory processes in this part of the head. Severe pain in the back of the head can occur as a result of such diseases:
- Neuralgia of the nerve that is located in this part of the head. In this case, the pain is burning, paroxysmal in nature, and can also spread to the cervical spine, lower jaw, muscles of the upper spinal region. In most cases, the pain is localized towards the inflamed nerve.
- Meningitis is an inflammation of the lining of the spinal cord or brain. Giventhe condition requires immediate hospitalization, as it threatens human life and he alth. In this case, pain in the back of the head may be accompanied by high fever, convulsions, nausea and vomiting.
If you experience acute and unbearable discomfort in the back of your head, you need to seek qualified medical help, because such conditions are quite dangerous.
Pain and nausea
Dizziness and the urge to vomit can be a common symptom of pain. Headache at the back of the head and nausea can be associated with the following conditions:
- Concussion or traumatic brain injury, either closed or open. Pain and nausea occur due to the formation of internal hematomas, bruises of brain tissue, internal hemorrhages. These conditions put pressure on the parts of the brain, resulting in severe pain in the back of the head and nausea. Severe closed or open injuries may cause loss of consciousness.
- Malignant or benign neoplasms are characterized by dull pain that does not go away for a long time. In this case, the tumor puts pressure on the structures of the brain, resulting in discomfort. If the tumor is malignant, then cancer cells affect nearby tissues, which also provokes pain.
Such causes of headache in the back of the head require careful diagnosis and timely treatment.
Pulsing sensations
Why does the pain in the back of the head rise and fall rhythmically? There are several main reasons for this:
- Hypertension is a persistent increase in blood pressure. Against the background of this disease, there may be a throbbing pain in the back of the head, dizziness, double vision.
- Spasms of blood vessels. This pathology is characterized by obstruction of normal blood flow, as a result of which throbbing pain may appear in the back of the head, which can spread to the temporal and frontal lobes.
It is noted that in a calm state, unpleasant sensations can stop, and when moving - intensify.
Sharp pain
The sudden onset of a headache in the back of the head may indicate the presence of such pathologies:
- Cervical myositis is an inflammatory process that occurs in the muscles of the cervical region. The person feels pain, which increases with bending over, movements of the neck and arms.
- Cervical migraine is an attack of pain that occurs when the nerve endings of the cervical artery are compressed. The pain is accompanied by dizziness, nausea and inability to concentrate on anything.
- Subarachnoid hemorrhage is a condition in which physiological fluid enters between the arachnoid and pia mater of the brain. In this case, the pain has a sudden character and quickly spreads from the back of the head to other parts of the head.
The last cause of severe pain is a direct threat to life and he alth, andtherefore requires immediate medical attention.
Persistent pain
The cause of discomfort, which has a protracted form, may be such problems:
- Cervical osteochondrosis - pathological changes in the structure of the intervertebral discs of the cervical spine. As a consequence, a person may experience chronic pain in the back of the head.
- Cervical spondylosis - growths of bone tissue that are localized on the vertebrae as a result of age-related changes or occupational factors.
At the same time, the discomfort experienced by the patient may be aggravated by physical exertion or movements of the neck and hands.
Pain and dizziness
If the pathological process is aggravated by vertigo, then we are talking about such a diagnosis as cervical myogelosis. It is characterized by a violation of blood circulation in the cervical region, which causes seals in the muscle structure. The symptoms of this disease include not only pain in the back of the head, but also significant stiffness in the movements of the neck and back, sore shoulders, as well as prolonged dizziness.
Diagnosis
When a person is admitted to a medical institution with complaints of a headache in the occipital part of the head, it is necessary to conduct a series of studies and consultations of various specialists who, based on the data obtained, will make the correct diagnosis. This is necessary to eliminate the causes of discomfort by medication or other methods.
The patient needs to consult such doctors:
- neurologist;
- oncologist;
- vertebrologist;
- traumatologist if the pain is related to injuries.
The following clinical studies are also needed:
- X-ray, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are necessary for the study of bone structures and soft tissues.
- Assessment of the general condition of the vessels using dopplerography.
- General blood test, which provides information about the presence or absence of an inflammatory process in the body.
In addition, an appropriate specialist should examine the back of the head and the cervicothoracic spine.
Medicated treatment
In many cases, it is possible to eliminate the causes of pain in the back of the head with the help of conservative methods of therapy. With a single occurrence of painful sensations, they can be stopped with the help of painkillers such as Baralgin, Citramon, Analgin. Such pain can occur due to stressful situations, emotional overstrain, prolonged TV viewing, computer work, or improperly selected eyeglasses. If after the termination of the drugs, the pain resumed, then this is a reason for seeking qualified medical help.
When making a diagnosis that causes discomfort, the treatment of pain in the back of the head is carried out according to the methodstherapy for any disease. In this case, painkillers, vasodilators, drugs to normalize blood pressure can also be prescribed.
Physiotherapy
When making diagnoses such as occipital nerve neuralgia, spondylosis, myogelosis, osteochondrosis, vasoconstriction, procedures such as:
- ultrasound therapy;
- electrophoresis;
- laser therapy;
- magnetotherapy.
10 to 20 sessions of physical therapy are needed, depending on the course of the disease and its complexity.
Manual Therapy
This method of treatment is applicable for neuralgia, myogelosis, osteochondrosis. The course of therapy is from 5 to 20 procedures. If necessary, the massage can be repeated for 2-3 months.
In some cases, self-massage is acceptable to knead the pain points of the cervical region. However, in such situations, it is necessary to follow the advice of the attending physician, as it is necessary to find the "right" points. If self-massage of the neck is painful, then the procedure should be stopped.
During the procedures, warming, emollient and analgesic agents in the form of gels and ointments can be used, which are applied directly to the massage site.
Manual therapy is contraindicated in case of high blood pressure, inflammation or spondylosis.
Therapeutic exercise
For unloadingtension that occurs in the cervical spine, it is necessary to perform special physical exercises. It is important to remember that their relevance, as well as the methods of conducting, are strictly controlled by the doctor. If you feel negative during the implementation of the complex, it is necessary to urgently stop it.
Folk treatment
Doctors explain to patients that the use of non-traditional methods of therapy does not exclude conservative treatment, but is only an addition. Therefore, you can not refuse to take medications and other methods of treatment. The following are often used as additional funds:
- Compresses are designed to reduce pain in the back of the head, as well as relieve overwork. To do this, you can use onion chopped to a state of gruel, grated horseradish, grape and cabbage leaves, lemon zest. The mixture must be wrapped in thin gauze and applied to the sore spot for a while.
- Calming teas are essential for normalizing blood pressure, plus they have antioxidant properties. For the preparation of medicinal infusions, plants such as primrose, linden, peppermint, lemon balm, meadowsweet are used. You can prepare mono-drinks from one component or a mixture of several herbs.
- Aromatherapy also has a beneficial effect on blood pressure and the central nervous system. For this, aromatic essential oils of fir, green tea, mint are used, which are applied to fabric pads and evenly distributed overroom.
When preparing compresses or decoctions, it is important to follow the dosage exactly, as some herbal ingredients can have a negative effect in case of an overdose.
Prevention
Respected doctors have always been of the opinion that it is much easier to prevent the development of pathology than to treat its consequences. On this basis, a set of recommendations was developed that must be followed as a prevention of pain in the back of the head:
- When sedentary work, it is important to take a break every 30-40 minutes and be distracted by light physical exercises. They can be given only 2-3 minutes, but such a simple measure will help get rid of blood stasis in the cervical spine.
- It is important to adhere to proper nutrition - refrain from drinking carbonated drinks, alcohol and excessively fatty and spicy foods.
- Must exercise regularly.
In addition, you need to monitor the vitamin balance in the body and, if necessary, replenish it. This can be done both through pharmaceuticals and by increasing the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables.
