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Dr. Andrew Rynne
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Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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What Causes Pain At Back Of Head And A BP Level Off 137/89?

hello there, I ve just had my blood pressure taken by my GP. It was 137/89. I was worried because I normally have a pain at the base of my head when it s high and I always assume tht s one sign of blood pressure. Do you think that the high 89 could be causing the pain at the lower back of my head? I m 52, 5ft 6 in, 10.12 stone. Thanks
Sun, 25 Oct 2020
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Internal Medicine Specialist,  's  Response
Hi,

I am a little concerned about your blood pressure. That is really just on the border of true hypertension. Pain at the base of neck could be a number of things but the one that comes to mind would be what is called sub-occipital neuralgia. This is irritation of the nerves that come out at the base of the head and the neck. This can cause a lot of discomfort and can be made worse when the blood pressure starts to rise.

I definitely think you should see your physician about the blood pressure to see what measures they would want you to start on. I feel the blood pressure is likely worsening an already existing problem, but to diagnose this correctly we need to get the BP down somewhat and see if the neck pain resolves. If it does great, if pain remains then we may need to pursue treating the neck pain as another issue all together.

Take care. Hope I have answered your question. Let me know if I can assist you further.

Regards,
Dr. David Girardi, Internal Medicine Specialist
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What Causes Pain At Back Of Head And A BP Level Off 137/89?

Hi, I am a little concerned about your blood pressure. That is really just on the border of true hypertension. Pain at the base of neck could be a number of things but the one that comes to mind would be what is called sub-occipital neuralgia. This is irritation of the nerves that come out at the base of the head and the neck. This can cause a lot of discomfort and can be made worse when the blood pressure starts to rise. I definitely think you should see your physician about the blood pressure to see what measures they would want you to start on. I feel the blood pressure is likely worsening an already existing problem, but to diagnose this correctly we need to get the BP down somewhat and see if the neck pain resolves. If it does great, if pain remains then we may need to pursue treating the neck pain as another issue all together. Take care. Hope I have answered your question. Let me know if I can assist you further. Regards, Dr. David Girardi, Internal Medicine Specialist