Headaches in Back of Head: Causes and Treatments

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 uppermost 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 easily be treatable.

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

Causes of Headaches in Back of Head

Here is a quick guide to show what is the cause of your headache in the back of head:

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 the 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 causes 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 health professional! Usually, with exercises, manipulation and special equipment can make your joints and discs a fast recovery!

Other Causes of a Headache in the back of Head

Treatment for Headaches in Back of Head

Headaches in the back of the head can be painful, but for the most part, they can be treated. If you are suffering from headache pain and are looking for some relief, then here are a few tips you can follow.

Take proactive action to reduce the time spent suffering from a headache or hopefully prevent it altogether. Here are a few tips for the treatment for headaches in the back of the head.

Narrow your triggers

Perhaps the best treatment for headaches in the back of the head is to prevent completely. If there are certain activities you engage in or foods that you eat that cause them, then avoiding these things could help you to avoid some unwanted pain.

Keep a notepad handy and jot down the things that are causing your headache pain so you will be sure to avoid them.

Over the counter medication

Luckily, the severity of headaches located in the back of the head is not as painful as a migraine or cluster headaches. This makes the treatment for headaches in the back of head easier.

Taking an over the counter medication such as ibuprofen at the onset of a headache can help to reduce the pain and time suffered from them.

Lifestyle changes

Your headaches may be the result of several things. It may be brought about by the foods you are eating, stress from work and a lack of stress relief.

Eating healthier, engaging in stress relieving activities and getting regular exercise may very well be the best treatment for headaches in the back of the head for you.

You know your body best, and in all likelihood, you will know what the best treatment for headaches in the back of the head for yourself will be.

Take a long hard look at what you have going on and narrow down the causes for your headaches, so you can find the best solution. It may just be one thing or a combination of things that you need to do.