Headache and Pain in the Back of the Head – Causes, Symptoms

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How to Find a Cause of Pain in the Back of the Head?

You can suspect a cause of pain in the back of your head from the pain duration and characteristics, other symptoms and circumstances.

A. NEWLY APPEARING headache in the back of the head
B. EPISODIC, SHORT-LASTING headache in the back of the head
C. CHRONIC, RECURRENT headache in the back of the head
D. CHRONIC, PERSISTENT headache in the back of the head

A. Newly Appearing Headache in the Back of the Head

Newly appearing pain in the back of the head, lasting from minutes to weeks, can result from: 

1. Injury of the NECK MUSCLES, like strained or torn muscle tendon (like in whiplash). Symptoms:

  • Pain in the shoulder(s), upper back, neck or back of the head, aggravated by turning the head
  • Tender spots in the neck
  • Neck stiffness
  • Neck swelling (sometimes)

2. Injuries of the cervical SPINE (C1-C3 level), like herniated disc or broken vertebra. Symptoms:

  • Usually one-sided pain, tingling or numbness in the neck and back of the head, worse in certain body positions, like sitting or lying.  If the spinal nerves at C4 or lower level is affected, the same symptoms may appear in the shoulder or arm on the same side.
  • Back of the head is usually not especially tender to touch

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