

Occipital Neuralgia is characterised by piercing, throbbing or electric shock like pains in the upper neck, base of skull and back of the ears. However, there are a few differences between the two. This pain is easily confused with tension headaches. Occipital Neuralgia is a specific type of pain which can occur in the base of your skull. Why do I have pain at the base of my skull? If the pattern of your headache changes, frequency increases to more than twice a week, or you are concerned that the headache has become chronic, then you should seek medical advice from your physiotherapist or GP. On the other hand, a chronic tension headache can occur for more than 15 days in a month and last over 3 months. These are infrequent and will occur less than 15 days within a monthly period. Episodic headaches can last from 30 minutes, right up to a week. There are two types of tension headaches episodic and chronic. As such, these muscles may be very tender to touch or stretch. It can also move through your neck, to the back of your shoulders, and to the fibres of your upper trapezius.

This pain is known to be described as a dull heaviness, which starts at the base of the head, and spreads round like a band across the eyes. However, stress is the most common cause of tension headaches. These muscles can come under tension for various reasons such as: They are all accountable for very subtle movements of the upper cervical spine and skull.

All the muscles which control the movement of the neck are very small. Tension headaches are caused as a result of muscle tension and trigger points which build up in the surrounding muscles of the neck and head. So you’ve Googled ‘ Pain at the base of my skull’ and you’re wondering what’s causing it… In a nutshell, the cause of the pain is usually down to a tension headache. We asked out expert team of Bodyset phys i otherapists to share their advice on the possible causes, and ways to relieve the pain. It can be very concerning, even more so if it spreads.

Ever wonder why you get pain at the base of your skull?
