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Questions posted in the
Neurology and Neurosurgery Forum have been answered by doctors from The Cleveland Clinic Foundation.
Question Title: Occipital NeuritisForum: Neurology Forum
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I have had a headache in the back of my head for about 6 weeks now. Last Friday evening I ended up in the emergency room becouse the pain was so bad I could hardly move. The doctor treated me for occipital neuritis by giving me a steroid shot at the base of my skull. He also gave me a perscription for Percocet. The pain is not gone and I am out of Percocet. I have been taking 800mg of ibuprofen every 4 hours. I just can't get rid of this pain. What can I do?
Thanks for your question. You did not mention in your posting if your occipital pain was triggered by any unusual event (head or neck impact, odd twist of the neck, etc.). Although the nuccal region is innervated by the occipital nerve, one should also carefully evaluated the possibility of a more proximal nerve injury, namely nerve roots in the high cervical segments. You did not describe any neck instability or neck weakness, so it is less likely that a severe compression of the cervical segment nerve roots is occurring. Given the persistence of your pain symptoms, you should be evaluate by a neurologist, preferably one specialized in the peripheral nervous system. Other options are neuro-surgeons or orthopedic surgeons specialized in spine. I hope this information is helpful. Best of luck. This information is provided for general medical education purposes only.
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