Occipital neuralgia

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Occipital neuralgia is a medical condition characterized by chronic pain in the lower part of the neck, behind the head and behind the eyes. This area corresponds to the location of the smaller occipital nerve and larger. Wrapping the larger occipital nerve is the occipital artery, which may contribute to neuralgia. This condition is also sometimes characterized by reduced sensation in the affected area.

Video Occipital neuralgia

Signs and symptoms

The main symptom of occipital neuralgia is a chronic headache. Pain is usually localized behind and around or above the head, sometimes up to the eyebrows or behind the eyes. Because chronic headaches are a common symptom of various conditions, occipital neuralgia is often misdiagnosed initially, most commonly as a tension headache or migraine, leading to a failed treatment effort. Another symptom is the sensitivity to light, especially when a headache occurs.

Occipital neuralgia is characterized by severe pain that begins in the upper and back of the head. The pain is usually one side, although it can be on both sides if both the occipital nerve have been affected. In addition, the pain may radiate forward to the eye as it follows the occipital nerve path (s). Individuals may see blurred vision because pain radiates near or behind the eyes. Pain is generally described as sharp, firing, electric shock, electric shock, or stabbing. Pain attacks are rarely consistent, but can occur frequently depending on damage to the nerves. The amount of time the pain lasts usually varies whenever symptoms appear; may take a few seconds or almost continuously. Occipital neuralgia may last for hours or for several days.

Other symptoms of occipital neuralgia may include:

• Pain, burning, and pulsating pain that usually starts at the base of the head and creates to the scalp
• Pain on one or both sides of the head
• Pain behind the eyes
• Sensitivity to light
• Sensitivity to sound
• Speechless is not clear
• Pain when moving the neck
• Difficulty with balance and coordination
• Tender scalp
• Nausea and/or vomiting

Maps Occipital neuralgia

Cause

Occipital neuralgia is caused by damage to the occipital nerve, which can arise from trauma (usually compusive), physical stress on the nerves, recurrent neck contractions, flexion or extension, or as a result of medical complications (such as osteochondroma, benign tumor bone). A rare cause is a cerebrospinal fluid leak. Another is radio frequency nerve ablation. Rarely, occipital neuralgia may be a symptom of certain cancer metastases to the spine. Among other cranial neuropathies, Occipital Neuralgia is also known to occur in patients with Multiple Sclerosis. Hodgkins and other cancer survivors who have been doing radiation treatment to the neck can also develop this, sometimes years later.

There are several areas that could potentially cause compression-related injury:

1. The space between the vertebrae C1 and C2
2. Atlantoaxial ligaments when the dorsal ramus appears
3. A deep and shallow surface surrounds the inferiolateral boundary of the inferior obliquus capitis muscle and the strict investment fascia
4. The inner side of the semispinal capitis, where the initial piercings may involve a trap either in the muscle itself or the surrounding fascia
5. The superficial side of semispinal capitis, where the completion of the muscle pierces the nerve and the fascia again raises the risk
6. The inner side of trapezius when the nerve enters the muscle
7. The insertion of the tendin from trapezius on the superior nuchal line
8. Neurovascular tissue of the largest occipital nerve and the occipital artery

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Diagnosis

Diagnosis is clinically established through typical anamnestic information (mostly short strikes of intense sharp pain, piercing or electrification by multiplication along the occipital nerve from the lateral neck and under/behind the ears toward the sides of the head and eyes, with often more background pain durable) and sometimes support clinical features (positive sign of Hoffmann, Dysesthesia).

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Treatment

There are a variety of non-invasive treatments, including manipulation, physical therapy, rest, heat, anti-inflammatory drugs, antidepressants, anti-convulsants, opioid and non-opioid analgesics, infusion therapy, and migraine prophylaxis drugs. Alternatives include local nerve blocks, peripheral nerve stimulation, steroids, rhizotomy, phenol injections, and occipital cryoneurolysis. Less commonly, surgical neurolysis or microdecompression is used to treat conditions when conservative measures fail.

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References

Frei R. Big study: Nausea often exacerbates the severity of migraines. Pain Med News 2011; 9 (8): 1- 20.

Liang, H. Occipital Neuralgia as symptoms of metastasis of gastric cancer. Imaging in Headache Treatment, April 2012. Saladin, Kenneth S. "Chapter 13: Spinal Cables, Spinal Nerves, and Somatic Reflexes." Anatomy & amp; Physiology: Unity of Forms and Functions. 12th edition. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2012. N. pag. Print.

Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Stedman's Medical Dictionary - Edisi 27 Illustrated in Color. Ed 27. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & amp; Wilkins, 2000. 1206. Mencetak.

Williamson dkk. The Journal of Headache and Pain 2013, 1 (Suppl 1): P65 http://www.thejournalofheadacheandpain.com/content/1/S1/P65

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/neurology_neurosurgery/specialty_areas/headache/conditions/occipital_neuralgia.html

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External links

• Neuralgia occipital pada NINDS

Source of the article : Wikipedia