A 'cluster lump' is the name that is often given to a painful or tender spot at the base of the neck. It may or may not be accompanied by a visible swelling. Many patients report developing these lumps during a cycle of cluster headaches, although they have not received much attention in the medical literature.

Some have described these lumps as a product of referred pain; the pain 'leaks' or is redirected from the focus of the headache to nearby nerve structures. There may also be a muscular component - the pain can cause muscle tension, which leads to 'knots' (also known as myofascial trigger points - no relation to triggering a cluster headache.)

Various treatments have been used to some effect - hot packs, cold packs, local analgesics, and massage are the most commonly mentioned. I believe that Myofascial Therapy/myofascial massage techniques hold promise for this.

While Chiropractic has not helped many people in terms of stopping cluster headaches and is not recommend for CH itself, I have found that chiropractic helped with the sore neck issues I get during a cycle.

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