Occipital neuralgia 1959551 226150217 2008-07-17T01:23:49Z Fishhead64 604902 /* Treatment */ removed repetition {{Unreferenced|date=April 2007}} {{Infobox_Disease | Name = {{PAGENAME}} | Image = | Caption = | DiseasesDB = | ICD10 = {{ICD10|G|52|8|g|50}},<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ihs-classification.org/en/02_klassifikation/00.00.00_icd10table.html |title=IHS - International Headache Society� IHS vs. ICD-10 |accessdate=2007-10-12 |format= |work=}}</ref> {{ICD10|R|51||r|50}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pc-ncc23.fhs.usyd.edu.au/queries/criteria1.asp |title=NCCH ID |accessdate=2007-10-12 |format= |work=}}</ref> | ICD9 = {{ICD9|723.8}} | ICDO = | OMIM = | MedlinePlus = | eMedicineSubj = | eMedicineTopic = | MeshID = | }} '''Occipital neuralgia''', also known as C2 [[neuralgia]], [[Arnold's neuralgia]], is a medical condition characterized by [[chronic pain]] in the upper [[neck]], back of the [[head]] and behind the [[ear]]s. These areas correspond to the locations of the [[lesser occipital nerve|lesser]] and [[greater occipital nerve]]s. ==Causes== Occipital neuralgia is caused by damage to these nerves. Ways in which they can be damaged include [[Physical trauma|trauma]] (usually concussive), physical stress on the nerve, repetitious neck contraction, flexion or extension, and as a result of medical complications (such as ''[[osteochondroma]]'', a benign tumour of the bone). ==Symptoms== The only direct [[symptom]] of this condition is essentially a chronic [[headache]]. Commonly described as back of head and around or over the top of head, sometimes up to the eyebrow. Because chronic headaches are a common symptom for numerous conditions, occipital neuralgia is often misdiagnosed at first, most commonly as tension headache or a migraine leading to treatment failure or addiction. Another symptom is the eyes being sensitive to light, especially when headaches occur. ==Treatment== Once diagnosed, occipital neuralgia can be treated in several ways. These include local [[nerve block]], peripheral nerve stimulation, [[steroids]], [[rhizotomy]], [[phenol]] injections, [[antidepressants]], and [[Occipital Cryoneurolysis]]. Other less common forms of surgical [[neurolysis]] or microdecompression are also used to treat the condition when conservative measures fail. Chiropractic is an alternative method to treating mechanical conditions such as Greater Occipital Neuralgia. The C2 nerve root exits the spine between C1 and C2. Irritation between these two vertebrae will cause this pain. ==References== <references/> ==External links== * {{NINDS|occipitalneuralgia}} {{Neuroscience-stub}} [[Category:Neurological disorders]]