Occipital neuralgia is a neurological condition in which the occipital nerves — the nerves that run from the top of the spinal cord at the base of the neck up through the scalp — are inflamed or injured. Occipital neuralgia can be confused with a migraine, or other types of headache, because the symptoms can be similar. But occipital neuralgia is a distinct disorder that requires an accurate diagnosis to be treated properly.

Symptoms of Occipital Neuralgia

Occipital neuralgia can cause very intense pain that feels like a sharp, jabbing, electric shock in the back of the head and neck. Other symptoms of occipital neuralgia may include:

• Aching, burning, and throbbing pain that typically starts at the base of the head and radiates to the scalp
• Pain on one or both sides of the head
• Pain behind the eye
• Sensitivity to light
• Tender scalp
• Pain when moving the neck

And all of this leads to a migraine, generally speaking.