Targeted Occipital Neuralgia Relief & Diagnostic Nerve Blocks
Shooting neck pain misdiagnosed as a migraine? Discover rapid-acting in-office nerve blocks and trigger-point therapies designed to stop scalp and neck pain at the source.
What is Occipital Neuralgia?
Occipital neuralgia occurs when the greater or lesser occipital nerves—which run from the top of the spinal cord up through the scalp—become inflamed, pinched, or irritated. Because the symptoms mimic migraines or tension headaches, occipital neuralgia is frequently misdiagnosed, leading patients to take ineffective migraine medications for years without relief.
Key Symptoms & Triggers
Pain Characteristics: Sudden, severe, electric-shock-like, stabbing, or burning pain that begins at the base of the skull or neck and shoots upward through one or both sides of the scalp.
Scalp Tenderness: The scalp may feel hyper-sensitive to the touch (allodynia); even brushing your hair or resting your head on a pillow can trigger sharp pain.
Pain Behind the Eye: Pain radiating behind the eye on the affected side as nerve pathways overlap.
Common Triggers: Neck extension/turning, poor desk posture, tight neck muscles, direct pressure on the base of the skull, or previous cervical spine trauma (whiplash).
Advanced Neurological Treatments Offered
At Thrive Neurology, our specialists quickly isolate occipital neuralgia using diagnostic and therapeutic interventions:
Diagnostic Occipital Nerve Blocks: An in-office procedure using a localized numbing agent around the occipital nerve. Immediate pain cessation confirms the diagnosis.
Therapeutic Nerve Blocks with Corticosteroids: Long-lasting anti-inflammatory injections that calm nerve irritation for months at a time.
Trigger Point & Cervical Musculoskeletal Therapy: Target injections and physical therapy regimens to relieve muscular compression around the nerve pathways.
Occipital Neuralgia FAQs
Why is occipital neuralgia so often misdiagnosed as a migraine?
How fast does an occipital nerve block work?
Book an Appointment
Thrive Neurology serves patients over 18 years of age in California. We are in network with most PPO, HMO, and Medicare plans.
Our Medical Assistants will be in touch to book an appointment.
