Carmell, I have ON and I also get the throbbing at the base of my skull, both sides. The neurosurgeon I saw told me that it was "occipital neuralgia" but I was kind of taken aback by his words and I didn't think to ask him anything more about it. I have other cervical issues and no doctor has told me any different so I gather that its part of ON, but I'm no expert here. I get the burning and shooting nerve pain in the neck, base of the skull, scalp, and the forehead. I also get hypersensitivity in the scalp and some days just my hair moving is enough to aggravate it. I hope this description makes some sense to you. Take care