Expert: Scott F. Gillman, DC, DACBSP - 5/9/2007

Question
Hello!  

For the last couple of years, I have been experiencing chronic tension/pressure/pain in the back of my neck, especially where it seems that my head meets my neck. Often, the pressure will seem to transfer between my neck and the front of my face, I can often feel pressure in my nose/sinus area.  Some days are better than others, but I've been unable to determine a consistent trigger.  Bad posture and/or strenuous exercise do tend to exacerbate the condition.

I saw an orthopedic doctor, who took x-rays and advised that the x-rays looked normal.  He suggested physical therapy, which offered very little help.  The only thing they did that seemed to help was ultrasound around the base of my head where it meets the neck, as I described above.  THis seemed to offer good relief, although only temporary.

Another doctor friend of mine suggested I see a neurologist due to the fact that the pressure I feel in my nose was rather strange.  But this seems a little extreme to me.

I would like to know if seeing a chiropractor might help with this.

Thanks!

Answer
Vik,

You may simply have a suboccipital neuralgia.  This would be from mechanical joint dysfunction causing irritation to the nerves that emerge from the location you are describing, where your skull meets your spine.  There a few nerves (the greater occipital and lesser occipital) that wind up the back of your head on either side.  One nerve has branches that connect to other nerves that to into a hole on the bone just above your eye.  I've seen cases where upper neck joints cause facial pain, with my most recent being a young women that had a neck trauma years ago.  Neck joint manipulation and soft tissue massage/release should be helpful.  Your condition shoule be easy for a chiropractor to evaluate and treat.

'Hope this helps.

Dr. G
www.drgillman.com