Occipital Neuralgia is a common cause of headache. It involves the occipital nerves — two pairs of nerves that originate near the second and third vertebrae of the neck. Pain typically starts at the base of the skull by the nape of the neck and may spread to the area behind the eyes and to the back, front and side of the head.
Occipital neuralgia may occur spontaneously, or as the result of a pinched nerve root in the neck (from arthritis, for example), or as the result of prior injury or surgery to the scalp or skull. It can typically be diagnosed—and temporarily treated—by an occipital nerve block.