Occipital Neuralgia and Brain Injury

I was in a car accident 3 years ago and still under the treatment of a neurologist, a rehab Dr. and now a plastic surgeon and pain management Neuro and PA, oh and lets not forget my GP who has not kept up with any of my treatments, but is suppose to keep up on my meds and does not...... Lets talk about a broken system of Medicine in America and providers who are at the mercy of protical and hospital policy. I went in after the accident was driven to ER by a family member right after the accident, diagnosed with concussion and whiplash, sent home 8 hours later to nurse my wounds....followed up with GP....3 days later due to terrible head and neck pain...the concussion later turned into post concussive syndrome and /or a MTBI. My dr. went on maternity leave....good for her leaving me with an assortment of others to fill in 3 months in I asked for a referral to a neurologist....After 2 office visits /6 months later they did an MRI of the neck found two avulsion fractures at C7 and T1. Yes after 6 months the neurologist refereed me to a pain management DR who requested the MRI, not impressed with neuro ....hence the mri showed the avulsion fx. Today ....3 years later, I am being treated for Permanent post concussive syndrome and Greater Occipital nerve damage. Still on Tramadol for pain Tizanadine as a muscle relaxer....Zonisimide, cymbalta, Odansitrone Lidocaine nerve blocks every 2 weeks, and I have done alot on my own, such as cranial sac rial, energy work, massage, acupuncture, acupressure, sensory deprivation chamber.... to get the head pain blurred vision, light sensitivity and my speaking issues under control as I developed a studded from the brain injury which damage or affected the cognitive and executive functioning of my brain .. The Medical community is a joke.......JUST a JOKE.....frustrated beyond belief. The treatment has been lacking at best. Getting prescription refills when the Neuros want the GP to write the prescriptions, as they want one dr. doing all the meds....that too is a huge cluster of errors. seriously Medicine in america needs to get a grip and start treating patients and not the insurance company or hospital, clinic politics how about you do whats best for the patient. That is my frustration. Thanks for letting me share my story.

Ok in regards to the occipital Nueralgia, I was diagnosed with this disgusting injury as well. I acquired this after 2 spinal surgeries resulting in a double CSpine fusion from C3,4 and C5,6. I have a horrible pinch that goes from the base of my skull up around to my eye in one string. (Best way to describe it. It’s like a long string of pinch around my skull). The reason for the fusion is because my discs burst out from each side ripped through the nerves surrounding the spinal cord and pinched off the spinal cord. My question is, does having ON automatically mean you have a brain injury? I have crazy mood swings I forget everything, I am tired some days where I sleep for days. I have gone in for very regular (every 3-4 mths) Steroid injections into the occipital nerve to calm down the inflammation and to do a nerve block. My worker w Spinal cord injury thinks I may be suffering from a traumatic brain injury due to this and feels I should have this investigated.

Why is it necessary to get a referral from an M.D. who is clueless and feels insulted that you don't fall for their prescription-pill-protocol when you need to see a neurologist after a T.B.I. ?
Our medical associations are broken when they go strictly by insurance-company-catering protocols designed to negate evidence of occipital nerve injuries by inadequate CT scans.
Every neuroradiologists knows you need an MRI that is 300% more likely to find damaged nerve axons and fibers than will a CT scan, therefore insurance companies have lobbied against more costly MRI scans to diagnose occipital nerve damage and subdural microhemmoraging.
Nevertheless, we must rely on the referrals of an idiot before we can go into the village.

Hi my name is Max. Almost two years ago I hit the back of my head real hard skiing. I had a concussion and I still have many problems. My visions feels really off and kind of blurry. The back of my head feels really tender and my whole head feels vulnerable. I have constant neck pains and it is always stiff and uncomfortable. I was also just diagnosed with hypothyroidism as a result from the concussion. Any chance I have occipital neuralgia or any upper cervical injuries

In October 2013 I split the back of my head open, needing twelve staples. Since then I have had loss of vision, strokes, and now I'm smelling oranges (of which I don't like). I'm seeing double now and the headaches are debilitating. The two neurologists I saw are dumbfounded so I'm seeking a third opinion. I have blood clots on my brain and a mass in there too. Just want relief 😢 I'm only 45.

I suffered a traumatic brain injury as the result to a blow to the left side of my head.  That was 2014.  I still have head pain there that gets worse when I have worked my brain (lots of mind work, physical movement, and such).  I also have a spot that if I touch it hurts like crazy.  I knew my brain itself can't hurt, but that is how I always described it.  Thank you for asking the question and thank you, Doctor, for your answer.  We all now understand it is the nerves in the head that are injured and causing our nasty "TBI headaches"!  Now I know exactly what to talk to my neurologist about at our next visit.

Well yet another collapsed episode and severe headaches and no sleeping and still no futher with the doctors sorting this out. Now trying to sort out seeing doctors in London but who knows what tomorrow will bring. They just don't listen and understand what you are saying. Please help me.