Occipital neuralgia is most commonly caused by pinched nerves in the root of a person’s neck. Sometimes this is caused by muscles that are too tight in a person’s neck. In some cases, it can be caused by a head or neck injury. Chronic neck tension is another common cause.
Other conditions that can lead or contribute to causes of occipital neuralgia include:
osteoarthritis, especially of the upper cervical spine, which can pinch nerves
tumors affecting nerve roots
blood vessel inflammation
gout
infection
Individual attacks or episodes of occipital neuralgia can occur seemingly spontaneously, or be triggered by a light touch.