What is Arnold's Neuralgia?

You may have never heard of the Arnold's neuralgia, but it is important that you know in whaté It consists, being a pathologistíthat you should not stop giving importance, nor confuse it with a headache, since this neuralgia, además to cause pain at the base of the cráneo that can seriously incapacitate the person who suffers from it. You have to know whaté this pathology is treatedíto nervous.

Index

¿Whaté It's Arnold's Neuralgia?

The name of Arnold's neuralgia comes from the anatomopathólogo of german originán Julius Arnold, being an affectionón which supposes a pain in the nerves located in the locationóno in the regionón occipital head.

The Arnold's neuralgia it is a conditionón of health characterized by the presence of pain in the course of the occipital nerve. This nerve divides into three branches (lesser occipital nerve, occipital mayor, and the third occipital) starting from the neck over the back of the head, specíonly from the dorsal rami of C2 and C3, así as of the sales of the C2.

The Arnold's neuralgia the neurología occipital mayor, takes place on the C2 dorsal ramus, when it passes from the medial border to the inferior border of the múobliquus capitis major, crossing the triángulo suboccipital. Posteriorly, runs along the múposterior rectus capitis innervating and perforating the múcentury semispinal head, crossing the tendón of mútrapeze century; going through the lísuperior nuchal line of occipital bone, droveéwalking towards him áapex of the scalp and up to the coronal suture.

¿Whyé occipital neuralgia occurs?

The neuralgia occipital is the result of pathophysiologyíto of the n. greater occiput in the 90% of the cases, and the 10% they are caused by the. lesser occiput, being unusual that the third occipital nerve is involved. These nerves lie beneath several deep muscle layers., so I tensed herón of the músuboccipital muscles that may irritate one or moreás nerves.

Reduces blood riskíneo that nourishes and oxygenates the aforementioned occipital nerves, causing in this way that they occur Headaches by the affected nerve, which can often be accompaniedñneck and head restraints. For it, There are different treatment options to control the síntomas.

Incidence of Arnold's Neuralgia

In Holland it tookó carry out an investigationón about the incidence of facial pain in the populationón de su país, being the neuralgia occipital o neuralgia de Arnold affecting a 8,3% of the cases. Those affected by this problem have an average age of about 54 años.

The origin of Arnold's neuralgia

Initially, the affected people will present a great scalp tenderness, that is accompaniedña shooting pain in the neck area that lasts from a few seconds to a few minutes, but which occurs on different occasions throughout the dayía.

If the pain occurs acutely and continuously, a diagnosis is likely to be indicatedóstico different, the discomfort may be unilateral or bilateral, but in the great majoría of the cases, at the beginning of the disease starts unilaterally, for, as it progresses, if it goes chronicling. In this way, just stretched outéndose a una distribute usón bilateral.

high sensitivity, you sensed itóabnormal number of pain andímules found in the regionón posterior del cráneo, are criteria that can determine that it isá emerging a Neuralgia de Arnold o neuralgia occipital.

Sísymptoms and signs of Arnold's neuralgia

When presenting a Arnold's neuralgia they begin to suffer different sísymptoms and signs at the base of the cráneo, on the back of the head and in the areas of innervationónumber of nerves affected, being the símy youtháit is common to suffer pain in these regions, which can last from just a few minutes to just a few days.ías.

Nevertheless, you have to take into account the characteristicsísticas of the sísymptoms and signsáare notable for this conditionón, between the cuáwe can highlight the following:

  • There is pain in the back of the head that starts at the base of the skull.áneo, and that it is common for it to be unilateral.
  • Discomfort that can radiate from the back of the head to the eyes.
  • Sensitivity to light (photophobia) and sounds (phonophobia).
  • Painful sensitivity can be described as electrifying, acute, stabbing and parox-likeístico.
  • pain that is más severe and important when moving or rotating the head.

Además of the síabove mentioned symptoms, spaghettién it is possible that you can get to suffer from pressure sensitivityóno in the áinnervated areas and on the scalp.

for all this, if you come across these síntomas, dutyás put yourself in the hands of a professional so that you can know if you areáis affected by a Arnold's neuralgia or other kind of disease.

¿Whaté causes Arnold's neuralgia?

The Arnold's neuralgia It is a health problem that has a series of causes associated with the appearanceón of the same,  that can be related to compressionón and inflammationón nerve due to muscle contractures or presence of fibrosis. The causes máThe frequent causes that cause it are:

  • muscle contractures: A contracture taking place in the múInferior oblique capitis may cause compressionón't get irritatedón on Arnold's nerve. Además, it pierces the tendonón of múupper trapeze century. Bad postures sustained during work alsoéthey favor its appearanceón.
  • Siringomielia: you appearón is rare and is a cyst that forms in the méspinal game.
  • osteoarthritis: Spaghettién can be caused by pathologyías well as osteoarthritis that cause a decreaseóno movement in the neck. This promotes inflammationón between the vévertebrae and the múunderlying muscles. The Mútendr dogsán what to workás, causing nerve and vascular strangulation at the base of the cruciateáneo.
  • Traumas: Local trauma can cause irritationóyes yesñor in Arnold's nerve. Among the injuries más frequent is the síwhiplash syndrome What happens during a car accidentístico.