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Neurology (Expert Forum)
Occipital Neuralgia
This forum is for questions and support regarding neurology issues such as: Alzheimer's Disease, ALS, Autism, Brain Cancer, Cerebral Palsy, Chronic Pain, Epilepsy, Fibromyalgia, Headaches, MS, Neuralgia, Neuropathy, Parkinson's Disease, RSD, Sleep Disorders, Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury
Occipital Neuralgia
by beverly, Nov 26, 2000 12:00AM
My Neurologist tends to think this is what I have. After Reading lots about it, it sounds just like my symptoms. I had a wide lamenectomy decompression from 3-7, 5 years ago. Things are worse than they were. The Doctor later told me " He should have done 1 and 2. He has been dismissed from the hospital for doing hundreds of unnecessary surgeries like mine. So now the pain is so much worse. Every since the surgery, I have had a pulling dull pain in the back of my head. Then it goes to my eye brows. Sometimes Butatal with caffeine will help for a short time. I wake up with this pain every morning. The rest of the day I feel a pulling in that same area. The feel is like a nerve or something back there was stitched up in the surgery area when the surgery was done. I know that sounds dumb, but that is the feel I have. Sometimes it seems the pressure of me just lying my head against the pillow makes it start back hurting. My NEW Neurologist says it sounds like Occipital Neuralgia. He says he doesn't want to do surgery because he would need to do surgery on 1and 2 and 3-7 is in such bad shape he would have to put a plate in there. I also now have two degenerated disks. He says I have so much bone missing in my neck that if he has to put a plate in, that it may keep me from turning my head from side to side for the rest of my life. I am only 47. So see other than the pain in the back of my head, I also have disk problems. I need you to tell me what you think and also tell me of you know of a specialist in or around the Alabama area. Thanks Bev
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Doctor's Answer
by CCF Neuro[P] MD, RPS, Nov 26, 2000 12:00AM
Dear Beverly:
Sorry to hear about your headache/pain. Occipital neuralgia is an uncommon entity that arises from the C1/C2 roots and has a distribution such as you describe. One treatment is injections as a nerve block in the nerve. Your symptoms sound like this may be occurring. I would stay away from too many medications as they compound the problem. Nerve blocks are possible, wearing a neck brace at night might help, medication helps, and maybe trying to combine treatments.
Sincerely,
CCF Neuro MD
Sorry to hear about your headache/pain. Occipital neuralgia is an uncommon entity that arises from the C1/C2 roots and has a distribution such as you describe. One treatment is injections as a nerve block in the nerve. Your symptoms sound like this may be occurring. I would stay away from too many medications as they compound the problem. Nerve blocks are possible, wearing a neck brace at night might help, medication helps, and maybe trying to combine treatments.
Sincerely,
CCF Neuro MD