Greater occipital nerve

Greater occipital nerve
Posterior primary divisions of the upper three cervical nerves. (Great occipital nerve labeled at center top.)
Details
From	C2
Innervates	semispinalis capitis, scalp
Identifiers
Latin	Nervus occipitalis major
Dorlands /Elsevier	n_05/12566321
TA	A14.2.02.008
FMA	65443
*Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy* [edit on Wikidata]

The greater occipital nerve is a spinal nerve, specifically the medial branch of the dorsal primary ramus of cervical spinal nerve 2. This nerve arises from between the first and second cervical vertebrae, along with the lesser occipital nerve. It ascends after emerging from below the suboccipital triangle beneath the obliquus capitis inferior muscle. It then passes through the trapezius muscle and ascends to innervate the skin along the posterior part of the scalp to the vertex. It innervates the scalp at the top of the head, over the ear and over the parotid glands.

Clinical relevance

Disorder of this nerve is one of the causes of cervicogenic headaches, referred to as occipital neuralgias. A common site, and usually misdiagnosed area of entrapment for the greater occipital nerve is at the obliquus capitis inferior muscle.^[1]

Occipital pain management

Some innovations in pain management technology utilize neurostimulation to target tension headaches that originate from the occipital nerve. Most people experiencing tension headaches will notice increasing intensity with time and pain originating in the back of the head (occipital) moving to the front of the head (supraorbital), and by targeting specific parts of the brain in that pathway, migraine relief can be achieved.^[2]

Notes

↑ Cho JC, Haun DW, Kettner NW, Scali F, Clark TB (July 2010). "Sonography of the normal greater occipital nerve and obliquus capitis inferior muscle". Journal of Clinical Ultrasound 38 (6): 299–304. doi:10.1002/jcu.20693. PMID 20544865.
↑ Migraine Treatment Technology Explained http://www.reedmigraine.com/treat/conditions[]

Additional images

Dermatome distribution of the trigeminal nerve
The nerves of the scalp, face, and side of neck.
Lateral head anatomy detail

External links

Spinal nerves

Cervical	C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 anterior Cervical plexus Brachial plexus posterior Posterior branches of cervical nerves Suboccipital – C1 Greater occipital – C2 Third occipital – C3

Thoracic	T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 T9 T10 T11 T12 anterior Intercostal Intercostobrachial – T2 Thoraco-abdominal nerves – T7–T11 Subcostal – T12 posterior Posterior branches of thoracic nerves

Lumbar	L1 L2 L3 L4 L5 anterior Lumbar plexus Lumbosacral trunk posterior Posterior branches of the lumbar nerves Superior cluneal L1–L3

Sacral	S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 anterior Sacral plexus posterior Posterior branches of sacral nerves Medial cluneal nerves

Coccygeal	anterior Coccygeal plexus posterior Posterior branch of coccygeal nerve

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