Occipital Neuralgia

Although occipital neuralgia itself is not directly caused by food, certain foods act as aggravating factors. Alcohol intensifies nervous hypersensitivity through vasodilation and an increase in inflammatory cytokines, while excessive caffeine consumption lowers the pain threshold by causing poor sleep quality and muscle hypertonicity. Additionally, processed foods high in MSG, processed meats containing nitrites, and aged cheeses can affect occipital pain through the mechanism of vascular headaches. In Korean traditional medicine, it is believed that alcohol and greasy foods create sticky waste products in the body, and these waste products block the pathways of Qi and blood, hindering circulation in the head and face. If the function of the spleen and stomach, which are responsible for digestion, weakens, these waste products accumulate easily; when combined with blood clots in the occipital region, this exacerbates the pain. At Dongjedang, we advise limiting irritating foods and excessive alcohol consumption during treatment, and we reduce diet-induced factors by combining oral therapies that strengthen digestive function and eliminate waste products.