Greater occipital nerve

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Nerve: Greater occipital nerve

Posterior primary divisions of the upper three cervical nerves. (Great occipital nerve labeled at center top.)
Gray's	subject #209 923
Innervates	semispinalis capitis, scalp
From	C2
Dorlands / Elsevier	n_05/12566321

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

The greater occipital nerve is a spinal nerve arising from the dorsal primary rami of cervical spinal nerve 2, between the first and second cervical vertebrae, along with the lesser occipital nerve.

It innervates the scalp at the top of the head, over the ear and over the parotid glands.

Clinical relevance

Disorder of this nerve is one of the causes of cervicogenic headaches, referred to as occipital neuralgias.

v • d • e Nerves: spinal nerves
Cervical (8)	anterior (Cervical plexus, Brachial plexus) - posterior (Posterior branches of cervical nerves, Suboccipital, Greater occipital, Third occipital)
Thoracic (12)	anterior (Intercostal, Intercostobrachial - T2, Thoraco-abdominal nerves - T7-T11, Subcostal - T12) - posterior (Posterior branches of thoracic nerves)
Lumbar (5)	anterior (Lumbar plexus, Lumbosacral trunk) - posterior (Posterior branches of the lumbar nerves, Superior cluneal L1-L3)
Sacral (5)	anterior (Sacral plexus) - posterior (Posterior branches of sacral nerves, Medial cluneal nerves)
Coccygeal (1)	anterior (Coccygeal plexus) - posterior (Posterior branch of coccygeal nerve)