​Occipital Neuralgia

Diagnosing Occipital Neuralgia

Testing to diagnose occipital neuralgia

Occipital neuralgia can be diagnosed by imaging studies such as CT and MRI scans.

Occipital neuralgia symptoms

Your doctor will also ask you about your symptoms.

These may include:

• Sharp, stabbing head and neck pain that radiates from the base of the skull
• Constant burning pain
• Pain that is limited to one side of the scalp
• Extreme sensitivity to light

Occipital Neuralgia Treatment

Pain management

Occipital neuralgia is typically managed without surgery, and may resolve with pain management techniques including:

• Physical therapy
• Massage
• Medication

Surgery

Surgical treatment depends upon the individual person, and may include:

• Local injections 
• Microscopic cervical spinal approach for ligation of the dorsal roots of the top two vertebrae (C1 and C2)

UPMC neurosurgeons may recommend a combination of surgical and nonsurgical approaches to occiptal neuralgia.