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Beyond ear and neck pain, common signs and symptoms associated with this condition include: Mastoiditis affects children more often than adults 2. Infection of the mastoid air cells can cause destruction and degeneration of the bony tissue that composes this part of the skull. The infection can spread from the ear to the mastoid bone, causing infected materials to accumulate within the mastoid air cells - a network of honeycomb-like structures within this bone. The most common cause of mastoiditis is a middle ear infection 2. Two possible theories: the mastoid bone may act as an air cushion to the brain, or it could provide ventilation to the middle ear. "The mastoid bone houses the ear structures, though we're not 100 percent sure why we have it in our bodies," Lawrence Lustig, MD, otolaryngologist-in-chief at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, tells 5. Most cervicogenic headaches respond well to chiropractic manipulation, massage therapy, acupuncture and postural retraining exercises.Īccording to MedlinePlus, mastoiditis is an infection of the mastoid bone of the skull, which is located directly behind the pinna, or outside portion of the ear 1 2. Possible causes of cervicogenic headache include nerve compression between the vertebrae or spinal bones, excessive tenderness in the neck tissues due to trigger points - hyper-irritable nodules or knots within a tight band of muscle - and reduced range of motion or a stiff neck. The cause of this headache is a disorder of the cervical spine and its surrounding bone, disc and/or soft tissues. Cervicogenic HeadacheĪ cervicogenic headache, sometimes called a cervical headache, may cause a dull, aching pain throughout the head as well as behind the ear and down the neck.Īccording to the American Migraine Foundation, a cervicogenic headache is referred pain, which means the pain is actually coming from the neck, but you end up feeling it in your head 4.
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With all that in mind, here are five possible causes of behind-the-ear and neck pain that you should know about.