Toddler complains of pain in back of head

[LINDSEYSMAMA]

A couple of months ago my 34 month old was just sitting at the table coloring and she started crying out, as though she pinched a finger of such.  When I asked her what happened, she just kept crying.  So I asked "where does it hurt?"  her reply was "my scratch"  when I asked "where", she rubbed the lower back of her head.  It was a couple of weeks before it happened again, but since then the freequency increased.  Every time it happens its the same.  She is fine, playing or whatever, cries out in pain, reaches her right hand to the back of her head and says "my scratch".  After a few minutes, she is fine and goes back to playing.  We took her to a diagnostic clinic at Pittsburgh Childrens Hospital.  The neurologist examed her and found no problems.  She prescribed Periactin to try to see if she was just having headaches.  We also had an MRI last week, results were normal.  The Periactin seemed to lessen the fequency, but why would a child so young be having these types of headaches ?  She went for 2 1/2 wks without an episode, but out of the blue last week she came running to me crying and rubbing the back of her head.  I tried to kind of trick her after the MRI and I told her that her "scratch" was all better now.  She said "No, it's still there but it doesnt hurt right now".  Its frustrating because she is fine before the episodes and within 2-5 minutes after.  

[angelmind]

Hi everyone I have a thing called charai malorformation it's when the brain drops between the skull and spine. And my 19 month old was just diagnosed with the same thing. Just throwing it out their cause she would grab the back of her neck also. Just throwing it out their so you could see if maybe that's it.

[Diyanpai]

Any updates on the above tests!

[sam_ah]

what other symptoms did ur child have?

[sam_ah]

and how often did the symptoms occur?

[WiscoDad]

Does anyone have an update?  Our daughter started getting intense pains just above and behind her ear. These pains would last for about 5 - 10 seconds.  They happen randomly always caused by her turning her head.  One was so painful while she was crying she went into a seizure.  MRI and EEG came back completely normal.  Saw Nurolgist and headache specialist neither of whine had concerns.  The Nurolgist diagnosis was anoxic seizure / breath holding spell.  Regardless we still have no answers as to what is causing this pain.  Since her seizure she has had this pain on a more frequent basis (every 2-3 weeks) but has been less severe as she has not nearly cried as hard as she had in the past.

Any updates, suggestions, answers are greatly appreciated.

[sam_ah]

is ur daughter better? has her seizures stopped completely ?   so concerned abt these pains :(

[WiscoDad]

FINAL UPDATE:

My daughter who is now 8 no longer has head pains.  She hasn’t head a pain in over a year.  She is perfectly healthy and is doing great at school and sports.  Speaking to her doctors they believe this was a nerve/ skeletal issue she literally out grew.  Thinking back to the seizure and the 100’s of incidents there after of pain we are blessed it wasn’t anything serious.  Prayers and thoughts for anyone who goes through what I and others have described in that it’s as insignificant in the long run as it was for us.  Stay healthy, happy, and safe

[WingoDad]

My daughter called me tonight with this same thing happening to my granddaughter. Scared me to death, then I found this page and it gives me great relieve to know it is not so uncommon. The first thing that went through my head was an aneurysm and at two and a half years old my granddaughter has become my joy and this shook me up. This page is such a blessing and I owe it to the next person to give them the peace of mind I received as I took it all in. I have read everything on it and have a knack for putting things together to give a clear conclusion of what is going on with 97% of the inquires on here..... ok many of the kids this is happening to are between the ages of 2 to 3 years old their bodies are learning to fight off infections causing mild swelling in the neck lymph nodes. The neck mussels have not yet had to give room to this swelling and causes a sharp pain when they are swollen and a child turns their head for the first time after they have swollen. I am speculating the older children this has happen to have recently moved in the past year to a new area and are having issues with grass and pollens their bodies are not use to in the new area. In either case I think massaging the neck mussels and pulling them mildly to stretch and loosen them from the shoulders to the back of the skull every other day ( let them heal the days in between) will ease the sudden pains these children are experiencing .  WingoDad

[WiscoDad]

UPDATE: WELL OVERDUE

Wanted to provide an update not only for those who have reached out to me directly but for anyone in the future who searches for answers on this topic. (Please see previous posts for background)

My daughter is now 5.5 yo.  She appears to only get the head pains around allergy season and when she is getting sick.  We have done a tremendous amount of research and have seen several Dr. throughout the last 3 years without much help.  One finding was she has low Iron which Dr. advised supplements.  Other than that everyone agrees she is a completely healthy girl.  So with that we have reached the conclusion the head pains are sinus related.

The pain is not nearly as bad as it was when she was younger.  This could be because she is more aware of them, has a higher threshold for pain, or they are indeed subsiding.  She will tell us or her teacher when she does get a head pain and again as quickly as they come on they are gone (seconds).  She reports of no other symptoms but continues to describe them like a "Zoom" that goes across her head.   The frequency could be months without any and then will get 3 -4 within a week or two time period again around the change of season or when she has a common cold.

She is very active in swimming, soccer, gymnastics, and now golf.  She has not had a seizure since the first incident which we have agreed was related to a breath holding spell due to the pain which she realized that night.

We continue to monitor and document nonetheless we are not nearly as worried as we once were.  For all those who are experiencing similar situations with your kids don't take the foot off the gas.  Have any and all tests completed, ask questions, ask second opinions, see specialists.

~WiscoDad

[bentleysgigi15]

Thanks for the update.

[LuvMy2AwesomeBoys]

So many people are finding this post because they are experiencing  similar issues with their child and are desperate for answers, yet no one is updating?  

[sam_ah]

because my son 28months old has been having the same prob ..im just trying to look for connections

he doesnt sleep v well
allowed to have a screen time
suffers nasal congestion quiet often
sleeps on his tummy

these pains are so disturbing for us parents. I sincerely hope all kids  grow out of it without any harm coming to them

[sam_ah]

has anyone found any answers as to y there child is experiencing such pains? .. any treatment that worked? has anyones child grown put of it?   any advices pls?

LINDSEYSMAMA is your toddler better now?

[shorav]

My 3 year son had similar problem. Experienced headache on back side, no other symptom. this happened daily for minutes and caused a pause in his physical activity. Did eye check up, MRI scan everything came normal. Met pediatric neurosurgeon, he gave medicine for migraine. For one month while he was on medication, it occurred only twice. Post medication it started again. Now the doctor has recommended 3 months of migraine dose and gradual withdrawal from medicine after 3 months.

[HonestysDad]

This has happened to my daughter twice this last week, she is playing like normal then starts crying holding her head saying her head is moving. The pain is on her head all around her left ear more towards the back of the head around the ear. it is so scary I don't know what to do but she seems fine after I rub it for a while. The first time I thought maybe it's just nothing but now it's happen twice within the week. Does anyone else's child say their head is moving or feel any twitching?

[HonestysDad]

This has happened to my daughter twice this last week, she is playing like normal then starts crying holding her head saying her head is moving. The pain is on her head all around her left ear more towards the back of the head around the ear. it is so scary I don't know what to do but she seems fine after I rub it for a while. The first time I thought maybe it's just nothing but now it's happen twice within the week. Does anyone else's child say their head is moving or feel any twitching?

[bentleysgigi15]

This is also happening to my 3 yr old grandson. He will be playing and all of a sudden he starts screaming in pain, grabbing the right back side of his head. This has been occurring for about 2-3 times a week for about a month. It's super scary and we will be making a Dr visit this week.

[KHett]

I am so amazed at how many children experience this.  My 3 year old daughter started having these last week and cries out in pain.  It seems to last about 10 seconds and like so many  you have said, after the pain she goes back to playing.  I have seen it happen while she was jumping or playing a little rough and then looks up (moves head).  Its as soon as she makes that head motion that the sharp pain comes on to the left side of her head behind her ear.  I too had these as a child, I have a faint memory of them and they scared the crap out of me!  I am a healthy 33 year old, although I do suffer from migraines about 2-3 times a year.  I am so surprised at how common these symptoms are and yet there seems to be no real diagnosis.

[sam_ah]

my 28month old has had 2 episodes within 2 weeks... they have scared the crap out of me...  
my toddler is a bad sleeper..gets up several times a night...   i do allow him screen time aswell... he also sometimes gets nasal congestion that disturbs his sleep...
does ur daughter sleep well...m wondering if there could be a connection  

[Mummom]

Hi my son who is 3 years old has been experiencing these pains too on the left side of his head. They last for few seconds but they hurt him a lot.. intend going to my pediatrician soon but wanted to know if anyone else have got their answers!!!! This thread is about 7 years old so I m sure someone will be able to throw some light on this. Please do help!!!! - a mommy who cant see her kiddo cry!!!

[sam_ah]

my son 2 years 8 months . has started with this pain...   2 wks back had the 1st episode in which he was sitting ...then all of a sudden started crying out loud... asked him what happened ... he pointed on the back of his head , lower right side ...and said pain...  from what it looked to me it lasted a few seconds... he cried then was ok....   and this happended in the morning ....  yesterday he had another episode ...    ive been worried sick since then....   GP has refered him ro a pedaritic neurologist... has anything helped anyone to treat this pain?
just wondering abt all the children who get it ... does ur kid have a lot of screen time ? is ur kid a bad sleeper ..or wakes up several times at night? or have any nasal problems?   just trying to find a connection

[sophiemitch1985]

The same thing happens to my 3 year old, he can be playing / reading / watching tv, he grabs the back of his head, this lasts for 30 seconds then he is perfectly ok. I havent yet taken him to the doctors. This has happened for a year now, with as longs as a month or two between times.

[MoMoC]

Did you get an answer yet? Same thing is happening to my 3 year old

[Helpmeet1995]

Hi there- my husband researched and found your page. Thank you for sharing your ordeal.  Our 16 month old son has done something very similar a few times over the last number of weeks.  Once we were riding in the car and he just started screaming out of nowhere and grabbing/hitting the side of his head. He doesn't talk much so he can't use words  to describe what's going on.  He had done the same thing a different time and then today was at the kitchen table playing and all of a sudden started crying and grabbing his head. It does not seem severe. The pain lasts only about 10 seconds and then he seems fine and goes back to what he is doing.  I called the pediatrician just to talk to them and they want me to bring him in but before I end up being told nothing is wrong, is like to have some more research to advocate for my son. I'm sorry to hear about your little girl. Is she doing better? I'll be praying for her!
Rebecca krebs
***@****

[sam_ah]

is ur son better now? has he grown out of it? my son getting similar pains... they r worrying me so much...    strange to see so many children experiencing it  :(

[sam_ah]

does ur child have a history of head injury or even a minor head concussion.. nasal congestion..bad sleepn patterns? any of that?

[WiscoDad]

Another Update...

Met with headache specialist today to discuss the normal findings of the MRA and MRV.  Nothing to note here but what was interesting, which should help a lot of parents, is the response/ answer we receive regarding our daughter's head turn.  We have always believed the pain she experience was a result of her head turning to the left causing the pain on the left side of her head.  Dr. disagreed and instead believes the head turn is a reaction to the sudden intense pain.  This makes a lot of sense as we don't always observe a head turn and this lack of observation is more times than not associated with mild pain.  Taking this into account along with other items for which our Dr. discussed with us there is no reason to believe the pain she is experiencing is related to nerves.

MRA/MRV ruled out vascular issues
EEG ruled out brain disfunction
MRI ruled out abnormal growth

Dr. believes this is a rare case of Ice Pick headache which are normally found in older kids rather someone our daughter's age (2 when they started, 3 at time of writing this).  Because they happen so infrequent there is no need for medication. (Her last head pain was the week of Jan 4th).

We are pursuing an allergy test despite our headache Dr. telling us it more than likely won't show anything.  We also just sent in our paperwork to the Mayo clinic.  As always I will continue to update as progress is made.

[JasE79]

Hello. I have a 2 almost 3 year old with what sounds like the same symptoms. And I have noticed it happens more frequent when he has a runny nose. However he had never had a seizure just the sharp sudden pain pu of no where. This has been going on for about a year now with no answers. His pediatrician advised could be a cavity. Dentist said no and the neurologist said it was probably a nerve. That is as far as I have come. The other recommendation his pediatrician advised is maybe taking him to and ENT Doctor. However I have not done so and none of his doctors feel he should have an MRI/A or CT scan as all his symptoms are not of those associated with serious issues. So I was just wondering what have you uncovered after your last post.

[KarenKae]

Hello sir my daughter is 2.5 and the symptoms are very alike. I appreciate you updating us but i am very scared , i am going to take her to her Dr for the first time tomorrow and i will request an MRI . i just Dont understand if you've had sevral test done on your daughter And they all come back normal then what is this?  Its very scary . There's alot of parents on here going thru the same thing i thought my daughter was rare but i guess its very common thank god nothing serious has happened to anyones child but please keep updating us thank you

[Diyanpai]

Any updates on the above tests!

[WiscoDad]

Just an update for those following now or in the future...

After my last post my daughter had three head pains within the same week of Jan 4th oddly enough.  2 very mild, one was so intense we thought she was going to have another seizure.  Since then she has not had a head pain.  On Jan 25th she had an MRA and an MRV completed.  Again completely normal, no findings thank god.  Still we have no answers so we are now turning to the mayo clinic.  The good thing is I believe we ruled out all major concerns with the various tests regardless our concerns are no less and will be going through the process for Mayo Clinic acceptance.  I will continue to provide updates when updates are available for months if not years to come to hopefully give other parents some peace of mind.

One last note her 2 of her last 3 pains were not caused by a head turn which is unusual considering the history of dozens others.

Please contact me privately if you wish to know more or have information worth sharing to help my daughter and I.

[Craisins1]

Hi there I would like to know more. I have a 12 year old son had heart surgery and since that he has this stinging burning sensation in back upper left side of head. We have had MRI and they can't find anything he is crying in pain some days don't know what to do!!!

[sam_ah]

hi.. thank u for updating . i would like to knw more pls. my 28month old has had 2 episodes of sharp pains in the back of the head ..right side near his ear... that make him cry...ive been v worried ...

[Kymbreleigh72]

This sounds like Occipital Neuralgia  ... I have it. Can also cause migraines . i take anti seizure meds for mine   ... Hope this helps

[Kat1710]

My daughter is 5 and has been having the same symptoms for about 6-8 months now. She describes them as burning or her bones cracking. She said mentioned sometimes it happens if she turns her head quickly. She has no other symptoms such as imbalance or eyesight ect. but it still makes you worry. I will be taking her in next week and will demand to find out what causes this. I will report back with our findings!

[JasE79]

Did you ever find out what your daughter has?

[TarahP_]

My daughter is having the same pains, has anyone found any answers?????

[tosha091214]

My 31/2 year old just woke me up for the 1st time with this "headache" he has never had it before. I put him to bed at 9p.m. and he woke me up at 1a.m. crawling in bed with me clenching his teeth.... I took him to his bedroom and asked him where it hurt and he grabbed the back of the right side of his head near the ear. I asked him if his neck or throat hurt he said yes. So I had him turn his head left to right and he said it hurt and that his eyes hurt too. He just started getting a runny nose the last couple days nothing to major yet. His lymph nodes have been swollen for a few months, but his pediatrician says they are fine.... could it be sinus 'allergy' related or should I be more worried.... any advice or answers...?

[eitanovitz]

Did any one find out what is it???
is it going to go away???
anything????
thanks
Ethan

[WestCoast4]

My daughter is 3 1/2 and she has been getting this exact pain for about a month now. It comes on sudden and without notice and causes her to cry out in pain. She will tell me she hit her head but she clearly has not hit it. It goes away in about 20 sec and she is fine again but its starting to bother me. When she first had them she almost got them once a day. Now its more like twice a week. I'm glad I found this forum. Its been really comforting to know others have kids with the same problem.

[sam_ah]

same with my toddler.. m really worried... has ur daughter grown out of it?

[RNconcernedmommy]

I too think this is a vaccine side effect what homeopathic treatment did u do? I'm desperate my email is *****************@ yahoo.com I'm going to go get cervical MRI tomorrow to make sure ok plus another of her brain to r/ o chiari malformation thanks everyone for posting please post if anyone had gotten answers

[RNconcernedmommy]

My. 33 month old also does this . This time it's happened twice this week and she does have swollen nodes in back of neck and snotty nose but I'm not sure if the other times when it happened she had this or not? Curious to know if all of these children having these symptoms r up to date w vaccines wondering about side effects?!??

[sam_ah]

is ur child better now? my toddler is facing the same thing.. he keeps getting nasal congestion too and is a bad sleeper... wondering if theres a link

[kk12128]

Hi, my daughter has had 4 episodes now of the same pain.  Thank you for your description.  She is 5 and has only started having these in the last month or so.  She explains that the sharp stabbing pain behind the ear happens after she turned her head really fast.  I know I've had "zingers" before when I've turned my head the wrong way and I feel like I want to cry.  
Otherwise, she is healthy.  Thanks and we will keep watching it but you've eased my mind.