What’s causing the pain in the back of my head at the base of my skull (and how can I ease it)?

Having an ache in your head can stem from all kinds of reasons, from injury to hormone changes. Most of them can be chalked up to a type of headache, but many people associate those with an ache in the forehead. What if the pain is at the back of your head near the top of your spine?

Learn about the potential reasons that you’re feeling pain at the base of your skull as well as how physical therapy can help reduce the pain.

5 possible causes for pain in the back of your head at the base of your skull

If you’re feeling an ache in the back of your head near the top of your spine, it can be difficult to pinpoint the exact cause.

There are a variety of reasons why you could be feeling pain at the bottom of your skull. Possible causes can range from types of headaches to daily wear and tear.

Potential reasons for pain in the back of your head at the base of your skull include:

  • Poor posture — If your shoulders are slouched and you’re constantly overextending your neck or looking down at your phone, it can cause pain in your head. Poor posture is a common reason for headaches at the bottom of your skull, as it causes tension in your neck, shoulders and back.
  • Migraine — This type of headache is a neurological disorder that can cause throbbing pain in a particular area of the head, along with nausea, dizziness, and sensitivity to light or sound. It can vary in severity and often be recurring. Migraines can be triggered by hormonal changes, exercise and stress.
  • Occipital neuralgia — This is a less common type of headache that’s caused by inflammation of the nerve that runs from your scalp down to your spinal cord. The pain of occipital neuralgia radiates from the bottom of your neck up through your scalp to behind your ears. It can also cause light sensitivity, continuous throbbing and sharp stab-like sensations. It’s often associated with migraine disorders. 
  • Medication overuse — Even though pain relievers are meant to ease the aches in your body, they can actually cause headaches if you take too many. Medication overuse headaches, or analgesic rebound headaches, can range in severity from a dull ache to migrainelike pain. They usually stem from taking aspirin or acetaminophen almost daily, with the pain beginning after a dose wears off.
  • Tension headache — We all get overwhelmed by daily responsibilities and issues, and too much stress can cause pain that feels like it’s wrapped around your head or the base of your skull. Besides the mild to moderate pain, tension headaches can also be coupled with other symptoms like trouble sleeping and sound sensitivity.

5 ways physical therapy can help treat pain in the back of your head and the base of your skull

Physical therapy can be a great treatment option for neck pain and headaches that are causing pain in the back of your head. Some are manual therapy methods, while others involve exercise and habit changes.

Here are five ways that a physical therapist can help alleviate the ache:

  • Soft tissue mobilization — The tension that can cause a variety of different headaches is stored in tight scar tissue. A physical therapist can apply pressure with their hands to feel around for the tissue and break up the scar tissue to release the tension. This can help alleviate the pain at the top of your neck, which could be radiating up to the back of your head.
  • Joint mobilization — Since pain in the base of your skull is often connected to neck pain, it’s important to alleviate the pain around the joints in that area. There are facet joints, which are found in between your vertebrae, that work with your neck muscles for complete mobility. By moving the joints around with their hands, a physical therapist can find any restrictive tissue that’s causing tension and reduced range of motion.
  • Dry needling — This is a technique that involves putting thin needles through the skin into the neck muscles, tendons and nerves to stimulate them. Dry needling can alleviate the tension as well as increase the mobility of your neck. 
  • Targeted exercises — There are plenty of exercises that can help alleviate pain in the back of your head at the base of your skull. Physical therapists can walk you through exercises that will strengthen your neck muscles as well as make them more flexible to increase the range of motion.
  • Ergonomic suggestions — Since poor posture can contribute to the pain you’re feeling, a physical therapist can help you make small adjustments to decrease the pressure on your neck and back. This can include gait changes as well as possible recommendations for equipment that will help your posture on a daily basis, like an adjustable desk for your workspace.

SSOR can help alleviate pain in the back of your head at the base of your skull

Any sort of headache can make it difficult to carry out your daily responsibilities, especially if the pain is radiating from the top of your neck up the back of your skull. Physical therapy is a great treatment option for pain management. And that’s where Specialists in Sports and Orthopedic Rehabilitation comes in.

Contact us today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.