Few things in the world are as bad as tooth pain. The severe, sharp, hard-to-even-think pain that you just can’t get away from. It is so intense because it is nerve pain. Whether you have a broken tooth or an infection etc., something is damaging the nerve, and signaling intense burning pain. What do you immediately do? Call the dentist, and beg for the soonest possible appointment so they can help rid the infection, pull the tooth, perform a root canal or whatever the situation dictates. This same path needs to be taken with nerve pain anywhere in the body. Not just an attempt to numb it, but to remove the cause of the symptoms.
Let’s talk about about a specific condition called Occipital Neuralgia. The name, broken down, says it all. The occiput is the back of the skull, right above the back of your neck, and neuralgia is simply nerve pain. Severe pain that is right at the base of the skull, and generally radiates up into the head on one side (most of the time).
Here are some of the most common symptoms of Occipital Neuralgia.
Aching, burning, and throbbing pain that typically starts at the base of the head and radiates to the scalp.
Sensitivity to sound.
Pain behind the eye.
Sensitivity to light.
Pain on one or both sides of the head.
Slurred speech.
Pain when moving the neck.
What we find in most cases of Occipital Neuralgia is a previous whiplash injury. The trauma leads to injury and misalignment of the upper neck. This causes muscle spasms in the upper neck muscles. The occipital nerves, the lesser and greater, run up the back of the neck to the skull right along with the muscles. When these muscles are spastic, they can cause pressure and irritation of the nerves, and suddenly you experience severe pain.
Most often medication is given to numb the pain. If that doesn’t work, the next move is usually injections into the area. The problem is none of this removes the root cause. Let’s go back to the tooth. Once the dentist numbs the area, you don’t just hop up out of the chair and leave do you? No way! You wait for him to correct the problem. The same applies here. If you don’t remove the pressure from the nerve, you will always be chasing the pain away with one drug or another.
That’s where upper cervical chiropractic comes in. It’s a good idea to get checked to see if it is an upper neck misalignment that is causing the nerve pressure. We’ve discovered this to be the issue most of time in these cases. An upper cervical adjustment can relieve the impinged nerve and the correct alignment can be kept in place to find lasting relief. An upper cervical focused chiropractor (like myself) is best suited to evaluate this possibility. We are whiplash experts, and can tell you with a quick non-invasive exam, whether your issue is coming from an upper cervical misalignment. If it is indeed the issue, relief may just be an adjustment away.
Contact us today at 239-243-8810 to set up your free consultation!
Fort Myers, FL - Occipital Neuralgia and Relieving Pain | See Our Chiropractor
SYNOPSIS: Few things in the world are as bad as tooth pain. The severe, sharp, hard-to-even-think pain that you just can’t get away from. It is so intense because it is nerve pain. Whether you have a broken tooth or an infection etc., something is damaging
Why nerve pain feels so intense—and how to ease it
BY: Dr. Lee Angle, Upper Cervical Health Centers of Fort Myers
Few things in the world are as bad as tooth pain. The severe, sharp, hard-to-even-think pain that you just can’t get away from. It is so intense because it is nerve pain. Whether you have a broken tooth or an infection etc., something is damaging the nerve, and signaling intense burning pain. What do you immediately do? Call the dentist, and beg for the soonest possible appointment so they can help rid the infection, pull the tooth, perform a root canal or whatever the situation dictates. This same path needs to be taken with nerve pain anywhere in the body. Not just an attempt to numb it, but to remove the cause of the symptoms.
Let’s talk about about a specific condition called Occipital Neuralgia. The name, broken down, says it all. The occiput is the back of the skull, right above the back of your neck, and neuralgia is simply nerve pain. Severe pain that is right at the base of the skull, and generally radiates up into the head on one side (most of the time).
Here are some of the most common symptoms of Occipital Neuralgia.
Aching, burning, and throbbing pain that typically starts at the base of the head and radiates to the scalp.
Sensitivity to sound.
Pain behind the eye.
Sensitivity to light.
Pain on one or both sides of the head.
Slurred speech.
Pain when moving the neck.
What we find in most cases of Occipital Neuralgia is a previous whiplash injury. The trauma leads to injury and misalignment of the upper neck. This causes muscle spasms in the upper neck muscles. The occipital nerves, the lesser and greater, run up the back of the neck to the skull right along with the muscles. When these muscles are spastic, they can cause pressure and irritation of the nerves, and suddenly you experience severe pain.
Most often medication is given to numb the pain. If that doesn’t work, the next move is usually injections into the area. The problem is none of this removes the root cause. Let’s go back to the tooth. Once the dentist numbs the area, you don’t just hop up out of the chair and leave do you? No way! You wait for him to correct the problem. The same applies here. If you don’t remove the pressure from the nerve, you will always be chasing the pain away with one drug or another.
That’s where upper cervical chiropractic comes in. It’s a good idea to get checked to see if it is an upper neck misalignment that is causing the nerve pressure. We’ve discovered this to be the issue most of time in these cases. An upper cervical adjustment can relieve the impinged nerve and the correct alignment can be kept in place to find lasting relief. An upper cervical focused chiropractor (like myself) is best suited to evaluate this possibility. We are whiplash experts, and can tell you with a quick non-invasive exam, whether your issue is coming from an upper cervical misalignment. If it is indeed the issue, relief may just be an adjustment away.
Contact us today at 239-243-8810 to set up your free consultation!
