pure chiropractic logo blue

Suboccipital Headaches: What are they?

Discover the Causes and Solutions

Suboccipital Headaches: Discover the Causes and Solutions

A suboccipital headache can cause pain/pressure in the back of your head, behind either or both eyes and also in the forehead.

In some cases, they are also associated with sight and balance disturbance, vertigo or nausea and can undoubtedly bring your life to a standstill.

Understanding the Suboccipital area

At the base of your skull there are a huge amount of nerves, ligaments, muscles and of course bone which can sometimes fall out of perfect alignment.

The ligaments and muscles in your neck constantly work hard to keep your head in its correct position alongside the occipital nerve, which runs from your 2nd & 3rd vertebra in your neck. Sometimes your suboccipital muscles can go into spasms which can cause your nerves to be highly irritated through that region, leading to a suboccipital headache.

Why Suboccipital Headaches can occur:

  • A loss of curve to your neck – tech neck
  • Strain to the ligaments and muscles in your neck which can irritate the occipital region
  • Physical or emotional stress and even anxiety
  • Bad posture, mainly when your head is often leaning forward
  • Any serious accidents (inc whiplash)

All of these points can cause the area at the base of your skull to become overly sensitive and inflamed, which in turn stresses your nerves and joints.At Pure Chiropractic, we are proud of Dr Pal & Dr Kieran’s track record in diagnosing and treating thousands of extremely individualised and specific headache cases.

They use the Gonstead approach which is the safest and most effective form of chiropractic in Australia.

Our Doctors will:

  • Take X-rays (where indicated) and assess
  • Thoroughly document your history of headaches
  • Assess your current level of pain
  • Palpate the area 
    Develop a diagnosis
  • Create a care plan for the future

Get in touch with our friendly team on (03) 8522 1922 or make a booking here.

You might also enjoy