finally a good night's sleep

shop pillows

Not all headaches are created equally. Some headaches arrive and leave without much fuss. Some hang around a little longer but don’t prevent you from doing what you need to do. But others make their presence known and felt and impact negatively on how you live your life. Occipital Neuralgia results in very severe headaches that are very painful. Treatment for the symptoms of this condition are not as simple as sleeping on an Elite Rest Memory Foam pillow, while this can help, this condition needs a little bit more than that. We are going to help you understand this condition a little bit more. You will also find a list of pillows to help you sleep better.

What Is Occipital Neuralgia?

Occipital Neuralgia is a condition that occurs when the nerves running through the scalp become injured or inflamed. This damage results in severe headaches that feel like a severe throbbing and piercing pain running through your upper neck, near the top of the spine, back of your head or behind your ears.  

Occipital Neuralgia can be caused by the following

  • A pinched nerve or if their pressure on the nerves
  • Tightness in the neck muscles
  • Head or neck injury
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Cervical disc disease
  • Gout
  • Diabetes
  • Infection

Symptoms of occipital neuralgia may include

  • Continuous aching, burning, throbbing combined with an intermittent shooting pain that starts at the bottom of your head and goes to the scalp – it can occur on one or both sides of the head.
  • Pain behind the eyes
  • Movements, like brushing your hair can be painful.

If you are experiencing intense pain, it is best to seek medical attention.

Occipital Neuralgia and Pain Relief

If you suffer from occipital neuralgia, you can try one of the following to help ease the symptoms.

Apply ice or heat. Ice therapy helps to reduce inflammation and in doing so relieves pain. You can place an ice pack under the base of your skull when you lie down. Alternatively apply heat to the affected area. When you do this the local blood vessels dilate and there is an increase in the blood flow to the neck and this helps to reduce muscle tightness. Apply the heat/cold for 20 minutes at a time.

Massage your neck. Use your fingertips to gently apply pressure to the base of your skull, this will release tension and calm any tight muscles you have. You can also use a rolled-up towel under your neck to gently massage your head and neck. If you feel like it is adding to the pain, stop immediately.

Regular chin tucks can help. Poor posture could also be contributing to your occipital neuralgia. By doing daily chin tuck exercises you can strengthen the muscles and align your head over your shoulders. To do a chin tuck, stand with feet shoulder-width apart and your back against the wall. Tuck your chin down and pull your head until it meets the wall and then bring your head up straight.

The Best Occipital Neuralgia Pillows

If you do suffer from regular headaches, you have to make sure that you are sleeping on a proper neck pillow.

Elite Rest Memory Foam Pillow:

We take a look at what occipital neuralgia is, some of the causes, symptoms and pillows you can use to ease neck pain.

When you sleep on this pillow you can rest assured that your neck will be supported correctly. Not only will your cervical spine be supported correctly but it will also be aligned properly which means your body will relax and when your body is relaxed you are able to fall asleep. This pillow will also relieve any neck pain you are experiencing. It does also come with a breathable, removable and machine washable cover and is ideal for side and back sleepers.

We take a look at what occipital neuralgia is, some of the causes, symptoms and pillows you can use to ease neck pain.

This pillow may not look like it is going to be comfortable but looks can be very deceiving. Lay your head on this pillow at the end of the day and you will feel the pain just float away. The ergonomic design of this pillow will both support and align your head, neck, and shoulders so that you can fall into a  deep sleep. Side sleepers, back sleepers and stomach sleepers will all find this pillow supportive and comfortable.

We take a look at what occipital neuralgia is, some of the causes, symptoms and pillows you can use to ease neck pain.

This pillow has been specifically designed to help people who suffer from intense headaches and migraines. Sleep on this pillow and it will help to restore the proper cervical curvature that is linked with military neck, stiff neck and more. When you place your head on this pillow it releases tension in your neck and shoulders, soothing migraines away. This wedge pillow is firm and sturdy, ensuring your head and neck are properly supported.

We take a look at what occipital neuralgia is, some of the causes, symptoms and pillows you can use to ease neck pain.

With this pillow you get incredibly natural pain relief! Sleeping on this pillow alleviates stiffness and pain in both your neck and shoulders. The pillow has been specifically designed to keep your head from rolling around and it has a dedicated place for you to rest your top arm. The focus of this pillow is definitely support, comfort and pain relief. Side and back sleepers will be able to use this pillow comfortably.

Investing in a good neck pillow can make a huge difference in the quality of sleep you are getting, especially if you are prone to suffer from headaches or migraines. When your head, neck and shoulders are all correctly aligned, your body relaxes and tension is eases and soothed away. Both the Elite Rest Memory Foam Pillow or a Chiropractic pillow will provide you with the support you need while you sleep, you just need to decide which one will work the best for you.