Headache Back Of Head

Headaches, especially if you get headaches at the back of your head, is one of the most excruciating and debilitating conditions that you can have! Some people describe it as a constant ache or sharp stabbing pains behind their upper most part of their neck or completely behind their heads. Other people describe it as a constant throbbing pressure that is pounding at their back of their heads.

Fortunately, if you diagnosed correctly, headaches that throb or pound behind your head can be easily be treatable.

So first, you have to diagnose correctly and cause of your headaches.

Here is a quick guide to show what is the cause of your headache!

Tension Headaches 

Tension headaches are quite common headaches and can be easily treatable. Tension headaches are basically headaches that usually come from a muscle source or a joint/nerve source.

With Tension headaches for the back of the head, you will usually see one or more of these symptoms:

·         Muscle spasm or tightness around the neck, back of the base of the skull, top of the head and brow.

·         Throbbing pain, constant or irregular ache, sharp pain on movement, or vice like feeling at the skull

·         Restricted neck and head movements

·         Pain behind the eyes – is very common with tension headaches

·         Pain can be on just one side of the head or both

·         Can be very mild to very severe.

If you have one or more of these headache symptoms, then most likely you have a tension headache. So what is the cause of these headaches?

There are basically three main causes of tension headaches for the back of the head:

1.      Compression or dysfunction of the C1, C2 and C3 spinal nerve. That is compression of the C1 - sub-occipital nerve (supplies sensation and function to the upper neck and base of the skull to the forehead and back of eyes), C2 – Greater Occipital nerve (side of your head, scalp, ear and back of head) and C3 – Occipital nerve (back of head and upper neck/shoulders). If any of those areas are affected in your neck or back of head, then that specific nerve is affecting your headaches. If you treat these specific nerves, you can get rid of your headaches!

2.      Muscle spasms and trigger points. The neck and back of your head contain many muscles. If one of these muscles are affected, then they can give you muscle spasms or trigger points! Trigger points or muscle spasms are signs that the back of your head and neck muscles are stressed or in dysfunction! Usually, trigger points is a sign of muscle stress. All these stress to the muscles give you the sensation of a headache. The cause of these headaches usually happen when you sleep in an awkward position or have bad posture or there was trauma to these muscles! If you heal and treat these muscles, you can get rid of your headaches!

3.      Spinal Joints and disc of C1, C2 and C3. These spinal joints and discs can cause you to give headaches as they are damaged and can refer pain to the back of your head. Treating these joints and discs usually take longer to head. If you have any of these joints or disc affected, you should see your heath professional! Usually with exercises, manipulation and special equipment can make your joints and discs a fast recovery!