Hello,
Have stumbled across this site and was hoping someone could help me / advise.
Apologies if I am babling/using the wrong wording for things but am only recently learning things about my pain.
I have suffered from "neck" ache for as long as I can remember, maybe the past 20 years. The pain I have always had is in that round bone at the base of my head, top of my neck - Is this the Occipital Region???

Over the past few years it has gotten a lot lot worse and it aches each and every day and makes me feed irritated, nauseous, get shooting pains, sensitive scalp.

I have had a brain and neck scan which have come back clear, so the neurologist dismissed me saying it was stress (only stress I have is my neck ache!!) and saying I have cronic migranes and wanted to prescribe anti-epeleptic drugs for me. I didnt have much faith in him as he said the pain in my neck region (occipital region??) was not connected to the shooting pains?!? I completely 100% disagree.

So, have been trying to find a reason and solution to the pain myself which is so frustrating and worrying. I have some sessions with a chiropractor and this helped with the numbness/weakness on my arms and face (forgot to mention this was also happening on right hand side). but did nothing to ease neck/head pain. Then began to see massage therapist and physio (both of whom I am still seeing) and they helped with tightness and headaches but the pain in that round bone is still there each day. My last two visits to physio and massage therapist involved a lot os rubbing and work around this round bone and each time I have come home and woke up in the middle of the night with nausea and began vomitting (this is what has happened tonight). AM I doing wrong by having this treatment / why is this happening.

I also had an x-ray in my neck which showed my neck has lost its curve.

So confused and unhappy?

Any advise? PLEASE?

Hi sonr and welcome to Neuro Talk. Here is the link to our Chronic Pain forum..http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum10.html

and here is the link to our Spinal Disorders Forum...http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum22.html

I hope someone will be able to help you.

Hi sonr, sounds very much like what I get from my cervical arthritis. I suggest that you get a referral from your doctor to a rheumatologist, who will check you for arthritis.
It also sounds like a tension headache, which I also had for years. Try Mersyndol-it has pain relief with a muscle relaxant, which is vital to get things to settle down.
The pain is known as occipital neuralgia, and may have a number of causes.
In my case, it comes via nerve irritation in the neck. Pain spreads to shoulders and sometimes arms, and on the left side of the head at the lower bump between the neck and the ear, and also at the top directly above.
This is a difficult pain to shift. I had it for about 12 hours yesterday and night, was awake until 5am, then had about 11/2 hours sleep.Took painkillers all the while.
You may need anti-inflammatories, and some strong pain meds.
I also strongly suggest some muscle relaxants too as there is a lot of muscle tension added to the mix. You can get these over the counter.
You also need to look at what you are doing to cause it. In my case it was years and years of desk work, particularly computer work.

Your brain and neck scans came out clear. I'm assuming it was a MRI. .

the symptoms you mention-
numbness/weakness on arms and face
(forgot to mention this was also happening on right hand side)
neck/head pain - irritated, nauseous, get shooting pains, sensitive scalp
Xray showed the reversed curve in {c spine?}

[My last two visits to physio and massage therapist involved a lot os rubbing and work around this round bone and each time I have come home and woke up in the middle of the night with nausea and began vomitting (this is what has happened tonight). AM I doing wrong by having this treatment / why is this happening.]

Possible could be from toxins that are released due to the massages.
ask them about that.
You should have been advised to drink lots of water after.
You might ask them about trigger points - that could be a part of the problem also.

Do you do a lot of desk work/typing/ or repetitive arm use?

I'll give you a link to our thoracic outlet forum {TOS} useful sticky thread and you can read and compare symptoms to see if more fit for you -
the first post has links sorted by category -
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread84.html

Hi SONR Welcome to Neurotalk!!

Hi Sonr! Welcome to NeuroTalk!

I think I have had the kind of pain you are describing. I have had the shooting pains a while after the pain at the back of my head also. It has made me completely unable to do anything but hold my head and moan!
I tried a chiropractor, and it was worse.
Unfortunately I have not received any definite diagnosis either.
I do know it occurs everytime I do something that requires pushing forward with my arms--such as pushing a lawn mower. I can use a weed eater because this is a lifting motion, but not the mower.
I cannot do any type of push-up exercises.
Once the pain starts, it lasts for several days.
You might try to notice if certain activities affect how you feel.
This limiting certain activities, and excedrin pain reliever seems to work a lot of the time.

Maycat - Thoracic outlet syndrome {TOS} might apply in your case also.
3 links from our useful sticky that tell about TOS
TOS info:
http://www.medifocushealth.com/RT017/index.php
http://www.nismat.org/ptcor/thoracic_outlet/
http://tos-syndrome.com/newpage12.htm

Sounds to me like the nerves in your neck are being irritated and pain then radiates out. Arm and shoulder movements are a classic cause. The occipital nerve goes from the neck and around the head, and through that bump that gets so sore.
Try muscle relaxants with pain killers; see your GP about cervical arthritis.
I've had that pain for years and call it 'the beartrap.' Have just stated taking Mobic and have seen a dramatic improvement in just 5 days. No occipital pain in that time, so fingers crossed.

Spoke too soon!
Bear-trap hit me first thing today, followed with a lower back being very sore. Went to the cinema and out to dinner previous day.
I also forgot to mention that you should consider facet joint injections, and something to help you sleep and relax those neck and shoulder muscles that must be really sore by now.