The most important role it plays is in protecting your brain. Specifically, it protects the brain’s visual processing center. It also acts as the connecting pathway from the brain to the spine. As the occipital bone connects with the first vertebra—the area called the atlas—it forms the atlantooccipital joint.
Where is the occipital bone?
occipital,, bone forming the back and back part of the base of the cranium, the part of the skull that encloses the brain. It has a large oval opening, the foramen magnum, through which the medulla oblongata passes, linking the spinal cord and brain.
Can you feel your occipital bone?
The bony skull bump — known as an external occipital protuberance — is sometimes so large, you can feel it by pressing your fingers on the base of your skull.
What do you mean by occipital bone?
Definition of occipital bone
: a compound bone that forms the posterior part of the skull and bears a condyle by which the skull articulates with the atlas.
What muscles attach to the occipital bone?
There are a number of muscle attachments at the basilar part of the occipital bone. The external occipital protuberance is just one origin of the trapezius muscle of the upper back. The spinalis capitis muscle of the erector spinae attaches directly to the bottom of the skull and allows head, neck, and chest movement.
What muscles attach to occiput?
The suboccipital muscles are a group of muscles defined by their location to the occiput. Suboccipital muscles are located below the occipital bone. These are four paired muscles on the underside of the occipital bone; the two straight muscles (rectus) and the two oblique muscles (obliquus).
Why does my occipital bone hurt?
What causes occipital neuralgia? Occipital neuralgia may occur spontaneously, or as the result of a pinched nerve root in the neck (from arthritis, for example), or because of prior injury or surgery to the scalp or skull. Sometimes “tight” muscles at the back of the head can entrap the nerves.
Does the occipital bone move?
The occiput and the mastoid part of the temporal bone normally move in opposing directions to each other: in the inspiration phase the border of the occiput moves in an anterior direction, while the border of the mastoid part slides posterior.
What is back of head called?
The occipital bone is a bone that covers the back of your head; an area called the occiput. The occipital bone is the only bone in your head that connects with your cervical spine (neck).
What is the bump on back of skull?
An occipital bun, also called occipital spurs, occipital knob, chignon hooks or inion hooks, is a prominent bulge or projection of the occipital bone at the back of the skull.
Is occipital spur normal?
Occipital spurs, also called as occipital knob, occipital bun, chignon or inion hook, is an exaggerated external occipital protuberance (EOP). It is frequently discussed in anthropological literature as a Neanderthal trait but hardly reported and considered as a normal variant in medical literature.
Are skulls uneven?
Not everyone has the same skull shape, and normal variations exist among individuals. The skull is not perfectly round or smooth, so it is normal to feel slight bumps and ridges. However, a dent in the head, especially if it is new, requires a trip to the doctor to determine the cause.
Is occiput same as occipital bone?
Anatomical terms of bone
The occipital bone (/ˌɒkˈsɪpɪtəl/) is a cranial dermal bone and the main bone of the occiput (back and lower part of the skull). It is trapezoidal in shape and curved on itself like a shallow dish.
Which bone is the strongest longest and heaviest?
The femur bone is the longest and strongest bone in the body. Located in the thigh, it spans the hip and knee joints and helps maintain upright posture by supporting the skeleton.
Why is my occipital bone so big?
The bony growth, which is known as an “external occipital protuberance,” can be found at the back of the skull, just above the base of the neck. … The introduction to the study for Nature stated the growth development may be an “adaptive mechanism” to handle “frequent tensile stress” at the tendon and bone site.
Does the occipital bone contain a sinus?
The body that forms the middle of the sphenoid bone articulates with the ethmoid and occipital bone and forms a key part of the nasal cavity; it also contains the sphenoidal sinuses.
What are the 4 divisions of occipital bone?
Because of that, the occipital bone is described in terms of separate parts which are: the basilar part, squamous part, lateral parts (placed laterally to the foramen magnum). This article will deal with detailed anatomy of the occipital bone.
What is the occipital process?
The occipital process (Processus occipitalis) covers the lateral surface of the petromastoid portion. It is the extension of the zygomatic temporal crest, that arrives in most species to the contact of the occipital bone.
How do you relax the occipital muscles?
Apply gentle pressure from your fingertips at the base of your skull. This massage can help calm tight muscles and release tension. You can also place a rolled towel under your head and neck as you lie down on your back. The pressure from the towel can provide a gentle massage.
What does greater occipital nerve innervate?
The occipital nerves are a group of nerves that arise from the C2 and C3 spinal nerves. [1][2] They innervate the posterior scalp up as far as the vertex and other structures as well, such as the ear.
How do you sleep with occipital pain?
The best position for people with occipital neuralgia to sleep in is on their back with a pillow that provides neck support and prevents side-to-side movement. If you cannot sleep on your back, the next best position is on your side.
Can sleeping wrong cause occipital neuralgia?
Sleeping Position Matters
The pain and tenderness in the neck and head area make it difficult to get a good night’s sleep. Failing to get adequate sleep and sleeping in the wrong position can intensify the pain. In fact, sleeping with a poor posture is a top cause of occipital neuralgia.
What causes tight occipital?
The suboccipital muscles commonly become tense and tender due to factors such as eye strain, wearing new eyeglasses, poor ergonomics at a computer workstation, grinding the teeth, slouching posture, and trauma (such as a whiplash injury).
What part of the brain is under the occipital bone?
The upper fossae are called the cerebral fossa and hold the occipital lobes of the cerebrum. The lower fossae are called the cerebellar fossae and hold the hemispheres of the cerebellum. The inferior edge of the squamous part of the inner occipital bone makes up the posterior part of the foramen magnum.
Is your neck connected to your spine?
The neck is connected to the upper back through a series of seven vertebral segments. The cervical spine has 7 stacked bones called vertebrae, labeled C1 through C7. The top of the cervical spine connects to the skull, and the bottom connects to the upper back at about shoulder level.
Why is my neck bone sticking out?
This condition, which doctors call kyphosis, results from chronic forward-leaning, a posture that is too common in our world of computer screens and other devices. Over time, a habit of poor posture can cause you to develop an abnormal curve of the upper vertebrae and a mass of tissue at the lower part of the neck.
What cause pain at the back of the head?
Tension headaches are the most common cause of pain in the back of the head. They can last for 30 minutes to seven days. Severe stress, fatigue, lack of sleep, skipping meals, poor body posture, or not drinking enough water may cause tension headaches.
How do skulls grow?
The skull is formed by several separate bones. These skull bones are connected to one another by specialized structures called sutures. … As the brain grows it stretches the sutures which signals the sutures to make new bone. The sutures allow the skull to enlarge and create just enough space for the brain.
What is the weakest part of the skull?
The pterion is known as the weakest part of the skull. The anterior division of the middle meningeal artery runs underneath the pterion.
How can you tell if a lump is cancerous?
Bumps that are cancerous are typically large, hard, painless to the touch and appear spontaneously. The mass will grow in size steadily over the weeks and months. Cancerous lumps that can be felt from the outside of your body can appear in the breast, testicle, or neck, but also in the arms and legs.
Can stress cause bumps on head?
The link between stress and acne has to do with hormones. When you’re under stress, your body pumps out more of certain hormones, such as cortisol. These hormones cause glands under your skin to produce more oil. Excess oil can get trapped inside hair follicles, along with dirt and dead skin cells, and produce pimples.
What does a tumor feel like on head?
Headaches that gradually become more frequent and more severe. Unexplained nausea or vomiting. Vision problems, such as blurred vision, double vision or loss of peripheral vision. Gradual loss of sensation or movement in an arm or a leg.
Can occipital neuralgia be cured?
Treatment of occipital neuralgia aims to alleviate the pain; however, it is not a cure. Interventions can be surgical or non-surgical.
Why did Neanderthals have an occipital bun?
The occipital bun was a knot of rounded bone at the back of the Neanderthal skull and may have been an adaptation for the attachment of their massive neck and jaw muscles.
How many people have external occipital protuberance?
To avoid ambiguity, the threshold for recording the size of an EOP was set at 5 mm, and an EOP was classified as enlarged if it exceeded 10 mm. Reliability testing was also undertaken. Results indicated that an EEOP was present in 41% of the total population, with 10% of all participants presenting with an EOP ≥ 20 mm.
Does skull change shape with age?
Using 3-D scans, scientists analyzed the faces of healthy men and women of different ages. They found that as we age, bones in the skull shrink, sink and slide around.
Do skulls have bumps?
In addition, each human skull has a natural bump on the back of the head. This bump, called an inion, marks the bottom of the skull where it attaches to the neck muscle.
What is Brachycephaly head?
brachycephaly – the back of the head becomes flattened, causing the head to widen, and occasionally the forehead bulges out.
What is base of skull called?
The base of skull, also known as the cranial base or the cranial floor, is the most inferior area of the skull. It is composed of the endocranium and the lower parts of the skull roof.