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If you are suffering from chronic headaches, it can be challenging to know if your pain is migraine-related or if you are experiencing something else like occipital neuralgia. This is because both conditions can cause similar symptoms and take months to get diagnosed correctly. To make matters worse, both health complaints share many similar features, making it difficult to differentiate between them.
As your trusted source of migraine relief in Draper, Utah, we thought of outlining the contrasting features of the two conditions. Hopefully, this will help clear the confusion. In addition, we will share an excellent remedy that has worked wonders for many patients seeking help for painful headaches and other accompanying symptoms.
What is occipital neuralgia?
It is a form of headache that can be hard to diagnose correctly. As previously mentioned, it has many similar features to migraines, making it easier to confuse them than analyze them. If you’re experiencing pain in your head behind your ear, you may think you are having a migraine, but in reality, it might be occipital neuralgia.
The American Headache Society defines occipital neuralgia as “pain radiating from the back of the head to the forehead.” In other words, this type of headache feels like it’s coming from right behind one’s ears and traveling across their temples toward their foreheads. As such, symptoms associated with this type of headache include:
- Burning or stabbing sensations
- Sharp pains or dull aches (depending on where along their heads they’re located)
What is migraine?
Migraines are characterized by intense headaches associated with nausea and vomiting, sensitivity to light or sound, visual disturbances (auras), or mood changes. It is not the same as occipital neuralgia and is, in fact, more painful.
Why are they often confused with each other?
It’s easy to grasp why people might confuse occipital neuralgia and migraines. Both are types of headaches, so it’s common for people to lump these two health complaints together. Nonetheless, there are several significant differences between the two conditions.
First, migraine is a general term for a type of headache, while occipital neuralgia is a specific type of migraine. Occipital neuralgia is characterized by severe pain in the head or neck area—but not all headaches feel this way!
In fact, many people who experience migraines may not even know that their condition falls into this category because their symptoms don’t feel as severe as those experienced by people with occipital neuralgia. This can confuse you when trying to seek help.
Similarities and Differences
Although both migraines and occipital neuralgia are types of headaches, they have different symptoms and causes. Notably, occipital neuralgia is quite rare, affecting no more than 3 per 100,000 reported cases of headaches. On the one hand, migraines afflict approximately 1 billion worldwide.
Both conditions share the similar feature of increased pressure on nerves in the head or upper cervical region causing them to become inflamed. This inflammation causes increased sensitivity within those nerves causing them to send signals directly to your brain, which registers as pain when they reach certain thresholds or put too much pressure on them.
Other symptoms may be similar between the two conditions, such as:
- A burning sensation in your face or head (typically on one side) that feels like pins and needles;
- Nausea or vomiting;
- Sensitivity to light or sound;
- Balance problems
It’s noteworthy to remember that not all symptoms will be present in every person with either condition. For example, some people may only experience one or two of the symptoms listed above, while others will have all five symptoms coinciding!
Diagnosis
Remember that the symptoms of occipital neuralgia, migraines, and other types of headaches can overlap. Due to this, it is sometimes difficult to differentiate between them or diagnose them in one try.
The following are ways by which you can diagnose the type of headaches that you have been experiencing:
- Migraines are more likely to occur with warning signs such as visual disturbances (flashes of light), nausea, and vomiting. They can also be accompanied by sensitivity to light or sound.
- Occipital neuralgia causes sharp pain felt behind the eyes (or at the base of your skull).
Care plan for patients
The best treatment for migraines will vary depending on the individual and the severity of their condition. For example, some individuals may respond well to over-the-counter medication. In contrast, others need to visit a doctor or other healthcare providers for prescription medication or a more thorough care plan for migraine relief in Draper, Utah, or anywhere in the United States.
Best Source of Headache and Migraine Relief in Draper, Utah
While varying factors are considered in managing headaches, upper cervical chiropractic is one of the most popular and recommended forms of headache and migraine relief in Draper, Utah. Upper cervical chiropractic adjustments are a safe and effective way to relieve migraines. You can include upper cervical chiropractic in your migraine or headache care plan to avoid or dampen each episode’s impact.
This care method has been proven to have lasting effects on the body and the central nervous system. Working with your postural balance can stimulate your body’s ability to heal and cope with chronic pain and other health complaints. It also alleviates the pressure on your nerves and blood vessels which can help you lessen your risks of recurring and painful migraine episodes.
To experience this distinctive approach to headaches and migraine management, visit Source Chiropractic and Wellness. We help a broad spectrum of patients, including those who experience mild to severe migraine and other types of headaches.
Our chiropractor, Dr. John Cheney, applies low-force and precise upper cervical chiropractic adjustments to ease the tension on your C1 and C2 neckbones. This will help you eliminate or lessen the intensity and frequency of your head pains so you can cope better.
You can set your appointment through our online form or by calling (385) 331-7035. We are open from Mondays to Thursdays from 9 am to 6 pm.
To schedule a complimentary consultation with Dr. Cheney, call our Draper office at 385-331-7035. You can also click one of the buttons below.
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