Pain in Back of Head

I’ve recently felt pain in the back of my head when lifting with high intensity. It started on my 12th rep of my last set of 5/3/1 deadlifts. Felt like someone hit me in the back of the head with a 2x4. That was Thursday. It happened again when I was pulling a sled Sunday and Squatting Monday. It only seems to happen when my whole body is under strain and tense.

Is it possible to “pull” something up there? Has this ever happened to any of yall?

Thanks,
James Keeton

I suspect this a breathing/blood pressure issue.

Well I haven’t noticed it the last 2 days. I guess the real test comes when I do deadlifts again.

sounds like the pretty typical weigh lifters headache
here’s one source, but just search for that online and you’ll get more info.

mc

This has happenned to me before - lasted a couple of weeks. Like you said, only on intense lifts like squats, pullups, etc. Scared the shit out of me - thought I had a brain tumor or something. I found that proper breathing helped a lot (sometimes you forget about this). It went away and never came back.

Have you begun taking any new supplements or stimulants since you previously did these lifts with this same intensity? Some caffeine or other stimulants can give me excruciating headaches (right at the base of the skull in the back) when I’m doing intense lifts–such as the last few reps of breathing squats, for example. I dropped the stimulants and had no more problems!

I second the weightlifter headache idea. Used to happen to me sometimes after big pullup sets. Was incredibly painful. I realized i was just straining my neck too hard when doing the pullups and once i kept it a little looser it never happened again. Maybe youre just straining your neck too hard during the lifts that are causing it.

Yeah same here, it definitely went away. But with the pull ups the pain was ridiculous. I really thought there was something wrong with me. Basically the breathing and just pulling the right way (more relaxed in the areas it’s supposed to be) should allow the pain to disappear. I dont even get them anymore. I remember reading on here in a post a long time ago, something suggested taking aspirin before a work out and that helped them out. I never did that though, just toughed it through and they went away eventually.

the weightlifter headache intriguingly is often age related, too.

so watch your form, be gentle to yourself, and if it starts, back way off from the load.

never move into pain.

mc

[quote]audiogarden1 wrote:
I second the weightlifter headache idea. Used to happen to me sometimes after big pullup sets. Was incredibly painful. I realized i was just straining my neck too hard when doing the pullups and once i kept it a little looser it never happened again. Maybe youre just straining your neck too hard during the lifts that are causing it.[/quote]

I feel that I am. I’ll have to be more conscious of it.

[quote]dr.mcmc wrote:
Have you begun taking any new supplements or stimulants since you previously did these lifts with this same intensity? Some caffeine or other stimulants can give me excruciating headaches (right at the base of the skull in the back) when I’m doing intense lifts–such as the last few reps of breathing squats, for example. I dropped the stimulants and had no more problems![/quote]

As of now, no I’m not taking any stimulants.

[quote]pcdude wrote:
This has happenned to me before - lasted a couple of weeks. Like you said, only on intense lifts like squats, pullups, etc. Scared the shit out of me - thought I had a brain tumor or something. I found that proper breathing helped a lot (sometimes you forget about this). It went away and never came back.[/quote]

Hahaha, I know. I was pretty freaked out a couple of days ago. I hope that better breathing control will solve this.

[quote]-mc- wrote:
the weightlifter headache intriguingly is often age related, too.

so watch your form, be gentle to yourself, and if it starts, back way off from the load.

never move into pain.

mc
http://begin2dig.com[/quote]

I’ll defiantly off the weight if this continues. No use getting injured, and being laid up from the gym.


It’s good to know others have encountered the same problem. And that the problem is reparable. Especially good that it’s reparable by using simple principles.

Thanks,
James Keeton