Headaches in the Back of the Head and Neck

I don't want to die now. I've still got a headache. I don't want to go to heaven with a headache, I'd be all cross and wouldn't enjoy it.
~ Douglas Adam

Oh yes, I completely identify with that emotion! I totally agree that even a trip to heaven will feel like hell if you have a headache! The funny thing about headaches is that they do not, in any way, deter your limbs and sensory organs from performing their mundane activities but, strangely enough, even a slight heaviness in the head renders you completely useless, making the thought of moving even a finger seem like unbearable torture! A headache renders you incapable of exerting your eyes and your mind and even a sound as mild as the grinding of the coffee maker at the extreme end of the lobby makes you want to pull your hair out in agony! I know, that's the kind of thing I experience every alternate day and the pattern of the pain with its territorial preference is the same. It begins with a tightness at the back of the neck which radiates onto the back of the head, slowly spreading its ominous grip over the entire rear portion of the cranium in a blunt, heavy, sometimes throbbing, sensation.

Causes of Headaches in the Back of Your Head and Neck

These harrowing headaches along the back of the head and neck are known as tension headaches in common parlance. This is a primary headache which is mostly bilateral, meaning that it spans across both the right and the left halves of the head. These headaches are often a result of irritation or tension in the meninges or blood vessels that are in and around the cranium. The brain itself does not have pain receptors, hence, it is not the gray matter that is in pain, so to say. So, what causes such irritation of pain sensitive regions of the neck and cranium? Following are the most common and probable causes that trigger tension-type headaches:-

• Dehydration - you are likely to get a headache if you haven't had water or other liquids for a long time;
• Hunger - irregular meals and long gaps between meals are to be blamed for most of these headaches, especially if you've ignored hunger due to being busy with some other, usually office related, work;
• Faulty posture - if you work in a sitting position for long hours and your posture is not straight (the spine is not correctly aligned), you end up having a strained feeling along your lower back, shoulders and neck, often resulting into a blunt, radiating pain that extends to the back of your head;
• Strained eyes - straining your eyes can give you a throbbing headache if you've been peering into that monitor since hours without a break or if you've been reading or watching the television from a very close angle;
• Sleep deprivation - getting insufficient sleep is one of the major culprits that bring on a tension headache due to your body, especially the back, shoulders and neck, not getting enough rest;

One not-so common reason behind tension headaches is caffeine withdrawal. I said not-so-common because people who are hooked to caffeine never totally quit actually, though they may reduce the quantity and/ or frequency of consumption.

Tension Headaches Treatment

Pain killers such as over-the-counter analgesics and paracetamols are the usual remedies for combating tension headaches. Topical application (on the back of the neck - skip applying it on the back of your head unless you're game about messing up your hair!) of menthol-based balms and ointments have also been found effective. Tricyclic medication is also recommended sometimes but they should be taken only if prescribed by a registered medical practitioner as these drugs can have a lot of undesirable side effects if caution is not exercised while administering them.

Neck massage and spinal manipulation are some manual therapies that provide relief to the pain by relaxing the neck and shoulder muscles and the cranium. Acupressure, aromatherapy and reflexology techniques are also deemed effective by many. Tension headaches can be easily prevented by managing the above mentioned causes. Drinking lots of water, getting enough sleep, eating at regular intervals, sitting straight, taking short breaks and doing simple neck and shoulder stretches are some small steps that you can take to save yourself the agony and irritation of a blunt headache that neither lets you check out of work early nor allows you to focus on the work at hand!