How We Determine the Cause of Your Occipital Neuralgia
Occipital neuralgia can come from irritated occipital nerves, muscle tightness at the base of the skull, neck strain, prior trauma, cervical spine problems, or overlapping headache conditions. At Medway Pain Center, evaluation begins with a careful history, physical examination, review of symptoms, and attention to where the pain starts, how it travels, and whether scalp sensitivity or neck movement worsens the pain.
The goal is to identify whether the occipital nerves are the main pain source and whether another neck or nerve condition is contributing.
Choosing the Right Treatment for Your Occipital Neuralgia
Treatment depends on whether pain is coming from the occipital nerves, surrounding muscles, cervical spine irritation, or more than one source. Some patients improve with conservative care, while others may benefit from targeted procedures.
Why One Procedure May Be Better Than Another
Different procedures treat different pain sources. A nerve block targets the occipital nerves directly, while trigger point injections focus on painful muscle tightness. Radiofrequency ablation is considered only after diagnostic testing supports the target, and epidural steroid injections are used when symptoms suggest a separate cervical spine nerve component.
Choosing carefully helps avoid unnecessary procedures and improves the chance that treatment matches your actual diagnosis.
Your Treatment Journey at Medway Pain Center
Your care usually begins with an evaluation, diagnosis, and review of prior treatments or imaging. From there, Dr. Tochi Umunakwe and the Medway Pain Center team explain your options, discuss conservative and interventional choices, and build a plan based on your symptoms, exam findings, and goals.
The focus is to reduce pain, improve function, and help you return to daily activities with a plan that makes clinical sense for your condition.
