Cervical Headache and Occipital Neuralgia

Hello, I am Dr. Hyocheong Chae, director of Sunyujae Korean Medicine Clinic in Dongcheon-dong, a place where good hearts reside.

Headaches! It’s a pain everyone has experienced at least once. We’re going to talk about headaches, an experience we’ve all had at least once.

Headaches are a very common symptom, but their causes are diverse and complex. Many people endure headaches by taking painkillers for unknown reasons, but in fact, it is more important to find and resolve the fundamental cause of the headache. In particular, cervicogenic headaches and occipital neuralgia often occur due to tension and stress around the neck and head. For these types of headaches, simply taking painkillers makes fundamental resolution difficult. Let me tell you about the Korean medicine treatment for headaches at Sunyujae Korean Medicine Clinic.

Cervicogenic Headache: This is a headache caused by structural problems or diseases of the neck (cervical spine). Structural problems such as military neck, text neck, or cervical disc herniation can lead to problems in the muscles and nerves around the cervical spine, causing pain. This headache manifests as stiffness in the neck and symptoms radiating to the back of the head, and in severe cases, it can spread to the crown of the head and even the forehead.

Due to cervical spine issues, it can manifest similarly to tension headaches. Ultimately, cervicogenic headaches arise from abnormalities in the cervical spine, such as cervical disc herniation, joint problems, or ligament damage. Characteristics: Prolonged poor posture causes tension in the neck and shoulder muscles, and the normal C-curve of the cervical spine transforms into a military neck or reverse C-shape, which in turn leads to compression of nerves and blood vessels, causing headaches.

Symptoms: – Pain starts in the neck and spreads to the back of the head – Headache may occur on one side or both sides – Headache worsens with neck movement – Restricted neck movement – Pain radiating to the shoulders and arms – Pain may also occur around the eyes and ears – Sometimes accompanied by nausea or visual disturbances – No abnormalities found in brain MRI scans – Accompanying symptoms: bloodshot eyes, eye fatigue, difficulty concentrating, dizziness, chronic fatigue, insomnia – No significant effect from taking painkillers

Occipital Neuralgia: This is pain caused by compression or damage to the greater occipital nerve and lesser occipital nerve, which extend from the neck to the occipital region. Occipital neuralgia is a headache caused by compression of the nerves in the occipital region. The occipital region contains the Greater Occipital Nerve, Lesser Occipital Nerve, and Third Occipital Nerve.

These nerves originate from the cervical spinal nerves and extend upwards. If inflammation or damage occurs in these nerves, the lesser occipital nerve can cause tingling symptoms behind the ear and in the temporal region, while the greater occipital nerve and third occipital nerve can cause tingling symptoms in the back of the head and the crown. Characteristics: – The occipital nerves are distributed from the back of the head to the scalp, and if these nerves are irritated or damaged, pain occurs. – Cervical disc herniation, arthritis, muscle tension, stress, anxiety, head injury or surgery, repetitive neck movements or compression, etc.

Symptoms: – Severe sharp pain in the occipital region (back of the head) and upper neck – Pain primarily occurs on one side – Increased scalp sensitivity, pain even with brushing or light touch – Pain can spread behind the eyes or to the ears – Pain appears paroxysmally and can last from a few seconds to several minutes

Sunyujae Korean Medicine Clinic’s Treatment for Secondary Headaches: Cervicogenic Headache and Occipital Neuralgia

Acupotomy Treatment: Acupotomy directly relieves the compression of nerves trapped in the spinal nerve roots and periphery, showing fundamental and rapid effects compared to other treatments. When combined with Chuna manual therapy, acupotomy releases long-standing muscle tension, and Chuna manual therapy restores misaligned cervical vertebrae, creating a synergistic treatment that helps maintain the therapeutic effect.

Pharmacopuncture Treatment: Pharmacopuncture is a Korean medicine treatment that extracts effective components from medicinal herbs, places them in a regular syringe, and injects them into painful areas and acupoints. By directly injecting medicinal herbs effective in improving inflammation around the cervical nerve roots into the lesion, it helps in removing inflammation and relaxing muscle tension. Chuna Manual Therapy: Chuna manual therapy corrects the spine, which has lost its balance due to cervical misalignment, and relaxes tense muscles and fascia, reducing pressure around the neck.

Herbal Medicine Treatment: Herbal medicine treatment helps to reduce inflammation around the nerve roots and promote blood circulation, thereby alleviating pain and restoring the body to a healthy state.

If you have any questions about cervicogenic headaches or occipital neuralgia, please add us on Kakao Channel and feel free to contact us via KakaoTalk or phone. Sunyujae Korean Medicine Clinic in Dongcheon-dong pursues evidence-based medicine and integrative medicine.

This post was written directly by the medical staff of Sunyujae Korean Medicine Clinic to provide medical information, in compliance with Article 56(2) and Article 57(3) of the Medical Service Act. The duration and outcome of treatment may vary from person to person, so please consult a qualified practitioner before beginning treatment.