Pain in the Back of the Brain

Headache is among the most typical symptoms that many people struggle with. This article describes the causes of a particular pattern of headache, i.e., pain in back of head. These causes consist of cervicogenic headache, brain tumors, dialysis headache, and dengue fever, and so on.

Pain in the head or headache is one of the most common disorders affecting humans. Various different patterns of headache are recognized and one such typical pattern is pain in the back of head. Pain in the back of head can be triggered by numerous causes and the most vital ones are noted in the table provided below.

Causes of Pain in the Back of Brain

Cervicogenic Headache

Takes place due to disease procedures afflicting the joints of the upper neck area (cervical area).

Classically, the resulting pain in the back of head is often one sided but can have variable discussion.

Previous injury to the neck region and aging are necessary danger factors.

Speeding up aspects consist of neck movements and long term uneasy postures.

Occipital Neuralgia

Probably a “seizure” that is localized to the nerve innervating the back of brain.

This “seizure” leads to severe pain at the back of head in the area supplied by the affected nerve.

Brain Tumors

Pain in back of head can occur.

Often, other symptoms due to neurological deficits control the discussion.

Cancer Metastasis to Skull

Spread of cancer to the base of the skull (occipital bone). Primary cancer can be anywhere (prostate, lung, breast, etc).

Severe pain at the back of head results from the invasion of cancer in occipital bone.
Headache is followed by problem in swallowing and speaking (after couple of weeks).

Lateral Atlanto-axial joint disease

Most frequently due to rheumatoid arthritis. Condition of this joint causes inflammation of the spinal nerve coming from at this level.

Lead to severe pain in the back of brain and neck.

Compression Radiculopathies

Compression radiculopathies (compression of the nerve roots as they leave the spine) of upper cervical nerve roots.

Compression frequently caused by an artery and leads to relentless pain in the back of head.

Dialysis Headache

Headache is a typical problem of dialysis. Nearly 1 from 4 such headache occurs in the occipital area (back of head).

Orgasmic Headache

Hardly ever, orgasms can result in headache due to constraint of capillary of the brain.

Bulk of these are confined to back of the head however can take place in whole head likewise.

Intracranial Hypertension

Raised intracranial pressure can result in throbbing headache localized to back of head. Headache can also occur in other regions.

Typically there are numerous other associated symptoms like altered consciousness, behavioral modifications, queasiness and throwing up, seizures, double vision, weakness, etc. Raised intracranial pressure can be brought on by many conditions (brain growth, head injury, stroke, meningitis, and so on).

Intracranial Hypotension

Pain can happen in the back of head, although most common place is the sides of head.

Pain is frequently aggravated by sitting or standing and relieved by lying down.

Typically takes place after back anesthesia or lumbar leak (spine tap). Can happen spontaneously without any cause (Idiopathic Intracranial Hypotension).

Arnold-Chiari Malformation

A hereditary malformation of the brain leading to pain in back of head. The headache is often provoked by effort or coughing.

There can be other associated symptoms like muscle weakness of face and neck, nausea and throwing up, lightheadedness, trouble in swallowing, and so on.

Dengue Fever

Virus-caused disease that results in high grade fever, headache, muscle pains, joint aches, nausea and throwing up.

Headache is generally behind the eyes but in nearly 20 % of the cases it occurs at the back of brain.

Cluster Headache

Hardly ever, cluster headaches can be localized to the back of the head, although the most typical location is around the eye. They are usually one-sided.

The pain is of tremendous seriousness and thought about to be among the worst pains described.

Migraine

Rarely, migraine can provide with pain in back of head. More typically the pain of migraine headache is located on one side of the brain.

Migraine headache is normally related to myriad of other symptoms.

Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Unexpected onset extremely severe headache due to bleeding between brain and the tissue layer covering the brain.

The headache is generally situated at the back of the brain and frequently associated with other symptoms like stiff neck, queasiness and throwing up, vision disturbances, confusion, irritation, etc.

Vertebral Artery Dissection

Very uncommon condition.

Causes sudden onset extremely severe pain in the back of the brain.

Temporal Arteritis

Inflammation of the capillary providing the head area (particularly side area) occurs in this condition.

Among the symptoms is pulsating headache in the back of the head. The headache can likewise occur on the side.

Temporal arteritis can result in various other symptoms like jaw pain, stiff neck, neck pain, blurred or double vision, fever, excessive sweating, muscle pains, and so on.

Sleep Apnea

Sleep Apnea often leads to headache. The headache may occur exclusively in the back of head region.

Parkinson’s Disease

Can have neck pain and pain in the back of head.

Retropharyngeal Tendinitis

Really uncommon reason for severe pain at the back of brain. Typically connected with pain on swallowing.