Occipital neuralgia does not usually occur in diabetic patients. Common causes of occipital neuralgia include cervical spondylosis, cervical tuberculosis, trauma, spinal cord tumors, osteoarthritis, cervico-occipital myositis, scleritis and metastatic tumors, etc. It is mostly secondary to nerve damage, and can be caused by respiratory infections or tonsillitis. Long-term diabetes mellitus may cause neuropathy, including mononeuropathy, autonomic neuropathy and peripheral neuropathy, etc., which is manifested as sensory and motor disorders in the innervated area or neuralgia, which may be numbness-type, pain-type, numbness-pain-type, etc., but occipital neuralgia is seldom seen. Diabetic patients with occipital neuralgia are advised to seek prompt medical attention for examination and treatment under the guidance of a doctor.